Township condemns home business infested with 1K rats

Township condemns home business infested with 1K rats

(FOX17 News)


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FRUITPORT TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A woman's animal rescue business, ran out of her home, was condemned after quickly becoming infested with what authorities estimated to be 1,000 rats.

Christine Lea, of Christine's Critter Café Rescue, has been renting and living in the property in the 5800 block of Airline Road for more than 10 years. Fruitport Township Supervisor Brian Wersham told CNN affiliate FOX 17 News that she had until noon Tuesday to remove all of the animals from her home and rescue. Wersham said the property owner has about 30 days to decide to ether fully reconstruct or demolish the home.

Lea showed FOX 17 News the hundreds of what she called "domestic rats" that are living in, under and around her home.

Wersham said this is the "most horrific thing he has seen in his life," but believed the rat infestation is contained to this property; he did not call this a public health issue at this point.


I tried my best to take care of (the rats), and feed them, and water them, and it's not their fault. They don't deserve to suffer because of it, period.

–Christine Lea, Christine's Critter Café Rescue


Lea said in the past decade, she has adopted out more than 4,300 animals of all species. She said during this winter an anonymous person dropped off a cage with 150 domestic rats, along with a 50-pound bag of cat food, which she said she did not know about for days, possibly weeks.

Lea said she did not have it in her to kill the rats, and took it upon herself to feed them, after realizing they had bred and multiplied by hundreds. She added that she was unable to secure birth control for the rats due to EPA permits that are difficult to obtain.

"There's people that don't understand this species, rats, and that's really too bad because they're a wonderful animal," said Lea, in tears. "They are all innocent in this: they didn't do this, they didn't ask for this, they didn't. I tried my best to take care of them, and feed them, and water them, and it's not their fault. They don't deserve to suffer because of it, period. So, I'm going to put my heart and soul into everything I've got left."

Wersham said the previous Fruitport Township supervisor allowed Lea to inhabit this rescue illegally. That supervisor issued a variance which allowed Lea to have only 80 animals on the property, ensured that she would be working with several agencies including Animal Control, and that she would not have any cats or dogs. Wersham said Lea has violated every aspect of this variance, and that his administration is "caught in the middle of a previous administration's mess."

The Fruitport Township Police are handling this investigation. Authorities said criminal charges and fines are pending for Lea.

To see photos of the rat infestation, visit fox17online.com.

Copyright 2015 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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