'They are innocent': 20 hamsters, including babies, found abandoned in heavy rain in Bedok park

SINGAPORE — At least 20 abandoned hamsters were found drenched and huddling together under a shrub in Bedok Town Park on Sunday (June 18).

Non-profit group Hamster Society (Singapore) (HSS) said in an Instagram post that it was alerted to the hamsters by a member of the public at around 4.30pm on Sunday.

Its volunteers rushed to the scene to look for the animals as it had been raining heavily earlier in the day.

In a series of Instagram stories on Sunday, HSS said the hamsters were found with no food or shelter. Ten of them are babies, measuring just 2cm long. Some of them were injured.

Videos on social media show the grey hamsters soaking wet as they scampered around a planter in the park where puddles had formed. A clip shows a group of about 10 hamsters huddling together in a corner.

HSS said it heard from a passer-by that the culprit who abandoned the hamsters had dumped them over a period of two days.

The society added that it has informed the authorities about the incident and urged residents living nearby to keep a lookout for any other hamsters in the park.

In an update earlier on Monday, HSS said the rescued hamsters are being taken care of by volunteers.

It added: "Hamsters are living creatures. They feel pain, fear and hunger. They are innocent beings and don't deserve to be thrown away like trash.

"Do not abandon your pets when you are unable to take care of them, it is a crime. Contact a reputable animal shelter, instead of leaving them out in the wild to fend for themselves."

In March, 17 guinea pigs were abandoned without food or water in thermal food bags by the side of a road. One was found dead under the bags.

First-time offenders found guilty of pet abandonment can face a fine of up to $10,000, a jail term of up to 12 months, or both.

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