PORTLAND, Maine — The New Hampshire SPCA has asked the community for support after a sudden rescue Wednesday of nearly 80 sugar gliders.
The marsupials were brought to the SPCA facility in Stratton after Tona McCarthy, the cruelty investigator for the NHSPCA, received a tip to investigate a breeder in the Granite State.
McCarthy said he found dirty cages and animals that hadn't been fed.
Since their rescue, 79 sugar gliders are getting medical evaluations at the SPCA in Stratham before they will be transferred to another rescue center or made available for adoption.
"They're doing full exams," Lisa Dennison, executive director of the NHSPCA, said. "They're looking into their mouth. They're looking at all of their limbs, their body condition, their body weight, their tails, basically to make sure that they're healthy and that they don't have any injuries, because there can be fighting among them. The stress from the transition [and] the conditions which they came from is a great concern, and so you want to make sure none of them are suffering."
The facility, which has not been named, remains under investigation.
"There's a lot of animals to do exams on," Dennison continued. "I think they did 20 in the first few hours, and there are still many more to go, so we'll be doing this for the rest of the day, and I'm sure into tomorrow as well."
The NHSPCA asked for help to support the animals and shared a wish list on Amazon to support the rescue efforts. A donation page to help them buy supplies has also been set up.
Shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday, the organization shared on their Facebook page that they have more than a sufficient supply of fresh food, though they noted that the need could change.