63 chinchillas rescued from cages are ready for homes

More than 60 chinchillas are looking for homes in Massachusetts after being rescued from a commercial breeding facility in Ohio, the MSPCA-Angell announced Tuesday. The 63 animals were among nearly 1,000 pulled last month by Humane World for Animals, who found them in what they described as "rows of filthy wire cages" at a facility that has since been shut down. MSPCA-Angell staff spent two weekends in October driving the chinchillas back to Massachusetts, and sent people to Ohio to help with intake. Several males are already up for adoption. The females are expected to follow soon, pending ultrasounds, because a number of them may be pregnant. Some also need dental work, which is a lot of tiny teeth. "Whatever care they need to live their best lives, we'll give them," said Mike Keiley, vice president of animal protection at MSPCA-Angell.