A Tribute to Chloe, Chuckles, Little Girl & Pepper

Just opening our doors to Suzanne’s Place in July of this year, our whole organization and community have been patiently anticipating the welcoming of many new small animals species. After hearing about this new animal cottage, a hamster rescue in Maine reached out to Our Companions seeking assistance with caring and adopting a group of hamsters. Preliminary discussions mentioned seven hamsters, but after traveling the long distance from Maine to Connecticut, we were pleasantly surprised when there was the additional of another hamster! We welcomed Ash, Onyx, Luna, Little Girl, Snowball, Raven, Sophie, and Chloe.

Even though one of the smallest of the group, Chloe still had a big personality! She was a white and tan Dwarf Hybrid hamster, estimated to be around 6 months old. She initially would be feisty with her new friends, and sometimes use their fingers as snacks! As she settled in over the weeks, she even started to accept treats from her friends and start to trust these big giants with smiling faces and yummy food. Things were going well until one day, after about a month with us, staff noticed she was a bit lethargic and started having labored breathing. The whole team worked together to find an available vet for an emergency visit for Chloe. The vet determined that she either had a respiratory infection or pneumonia, and was given medication to help treat her condition. She was also given a steroid inhaler to help open up her airways. However, despite our best efforts, Chloe sadly passed away.

As if losing our first small animal guest was a tough, we experienced yet another loss that same day. Chuckles was a six year old guinea pig that arrived to our Sanctuary shortly after our hamster crew. We received a call on our Helpline from a person requesting placement for their guinea pig since they were moving and unable to care for him. The person explained that they actually rescued Chuckles from a relative that unfortunately wasn’t caring for him properly and decided to take over his care. She did note that Chuckles had a lump on his belly and was never seen by a vet. Though we were concerned about this mysterious lump, we knew the best place to receive the care he needed was at our Sanctuary.

Understandably, Chuckles was initially shy as he transitioned to his new habitat, but each day he was warming up to his new friends! He really loved all the accessories in his habitat and would gain the courage to explore and say hi, though he also thoroughly enjoyed hanging out in his hut. When he was eventually seen by our vet to be examined, we were hit with the devastating news that Chuckles had a large malignant mammary tumor. Not only that, but the tumor started to bleed on his right side and they found several other significant masses in other mammary glands as well. The vet explained to us that his prognosis was not good and it would be best to help him pass to prevent any further suffering. Our staff held Chuckles close while he crossed the Rainbow Bridge, the same day we lost Chloe.

 As our team of staff and volunteers supported each other after experiencing a double loss, time hustled on at the Sanctuary; continuing care for the sweet critters. About a month later, a volunteer noticed Little Girl seemed a bit lethargic and unsteady on her feet. She was brought to the vet where they kept her overnight for observation. She showed some improvement, but it was noted that she had congestive heart failure. She did come back to the Sanctuary with medication in hopes it would help her continue to improve, but due to the severity of the issue and possibly her advanced age, she passed away.

From the day she arrived to the Sanctuary, Little Girl was instantly sweet to everyone she met! She was an older gal for a hamster, about a year and a half when she first arrived. She loved napping the day away, but would happily wake up to say hello to her friends- especially when they brought her treats! Her calm, kind personality and adorable face is immensely missed.

In August of 2024, we heard about a few rats residing at a local municipal shelter. With open space and open arms, we welcomed four boys to our Sanctuary named Scrappy, Pepper, Pinky and Brain! We learned that they were initially surrendered by their owner and were part of a larger group of rats. Pepper and Scrappy shared a habitat together, while Pinky and Brain shared a space as well. The boys loved showing off how smart they were and were very excited to have all the enrichment activities to explore and have fun!

As the weeks went by, staff arrived to our Sanctuary to find Pepper unusually lethargic and having labored breathing. He was quickly isolated from the other rats and brought to the vet for an examination. They determined he either had pneumonia or a tumor, plus an ulcer in his eye. He came back to our Sanctuary with medications to address the pneumonia, but by the next morning, he continued to breathe heavily and felt cold. We decided it was best to ease his discomfort and help him pass over the Rainbow Bridge. Pepper was sweet, loving, and curious. His enthusiasm for enjoying life to the fullest will always be remember.

Though these lovely animals weren’t with us long, they left such a mark on our hearts. Even within their short stay at our Sanctuary, we saw such pivotal strides and changes they made with some extra love and care from our staff and volunteers. It’s a hard fact to swallow that caring for these small animals, losing them might be a part of that process. Still, we honor the part of their lives they shared with us and they will also be a part of ours. We want to thank our staff, volunteers, and vet partners for providing such great love, care, and support to these little critter cuties. We miss you so much, Chloe, Chuckles, Little Girl and Pepper!