anyratrescue.org

Domestic rats need rescuing because they are pets, not wildlife: when owners can no longer care for them—because of moving, allergies, financial strain, or a litter they didn't plan for—the rats often have nowhere to go. Many animal shelters are not set up to take small pets, and some rats are surrendered sick, elderly, or with behavioral issues that make them hard to place. Any Rat Rescue, a 501(c)(3) no-kill organization serving the Phoenix metropolitan area since 2004, exists to fill that gap: it accepts any domestic rat regardless of health, age, or temperament and finds homes for approximately 200 pet rats each year.

The problem: rats are easy to acquire and hard to rehome

Rats are inexpensive, breed quickly, and are often bought on impulse. When circumstances change, owners discover that rehoming a rat is not as simple as dropping it at a shelter. The result is that domestic rats are among the pets most likely to be abandoned or passed along informally—which is exactly the situation a rescue is designed to interrupt.

How a rescue network differs from a shelter

Any Rat Rescue describes itself as not a shelter, but a network of caring foster homes. That distinction matters:

Foster homes provide a transition period where rats can be assessed, socialized, and matched with adopters—something a busy shelter cage rarely allows. The trade-off is capacity: a volunteer network can only take in as many animals as it has foster space for.

What happens when the rescue is full

Any Rat Rescue states plainly that its ability to take in surrenders is limited. When it is at capacity in the Phoenix area, it refers families with urgent need to the Arizona Humane Society; in Tucson, it refers to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona. The rescue also keeps a waitlist for foster space and says it does its best to help. For an owner facing a deadline, that means planning ahead and contacting the rescue early rather than waiting until the last day.

Why adoption matters for animal welfare

Adopting instead of buying gives an existing animal a home and frees foster space for the next rat in need. Because this rescue accepts rats regardless of health, age, or temperament, the animals available may include seniors, pairs that must stay together, or rats needing patient handling—adopters should ask about an animal's specific needs before committing. The rescue links to a reading page, "Why do rats need rescuing?", for those who want the fuller case.

How to get involved or meet the rats

• Adopt or foster: contact the rescue through its website for current availability and foster requirements.
• Meet rats in person: the rescue hosts free Meet and Greet events and adoption fairs, often in partnership with PACC911, at locations across Tempe, Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, and Paradise Valley. Check the site's event listings for dates, times, and addresses before traveling.
• Support the network: events may request free pet food or supply donations, or cash/CashApp donations, in place of admission.

If you are considering a rat as a pet, start with an adoption event rather than a pet store—you will meet animals already assessed by foster volunteers, and you will be helping the rescue make room for the next rat that needs one.

Any Rat Rescue is a small, all-volunteer foster network, not a shelter, so its ability to accept surrenders is limited. If it can't take your rat, the organization's own guidance is to contact the Arizona Humane Society if you're in the Phoenix area, or the Humane Society of Southern Arizona if you're in Tucson. You can also ask to be placed on Any Rat Rescue's waitlist for foster space — the rescue says it keeps one and does its best to help.

Why Capacity Is the Limiting Factor

Any Rat Rescue has operated in the Phoenix metropolitan area since 2004 and describes itself as a no-kill rescue that accepts any domestic rat regardless of health, age, or temperament. It places roughly 200 pet rats a year. Because animals are housed in a network of caring foster homes rather than a single facility, the number of rats it can take at any moment depends on available foster space — which is why the rescue states plainly that surrender capacity is limited.

That structure is also why the referral step exists: when the Phoenix-area network is at capacity, the rescue directs families with urgent need to the Arizona Humane Society rather than leaving them without an option.

Step-by-Step: What to Do

1. Contact Any Rat Rescue first and describe your situation. The rescue asks people to contact it for more information. Explain how many rats you have, their age and health, and how urgent the timeline is — that information determines whether foster space might open up.
2. Ask specifically about the waitlist. The rescue maintains a waitlist for foster space. Getting on it doesn't guarantee placement, but it keeps you in line when capacity frees up.
3. Use the regional referral if you're at capacity or urgent. Phoenix area: Arizona Humane Society. Tucson: Humane Society of Southern Arizona. These are the two referrals the rescue itself names.
4. Keep following up. A volunteer-run network has no large intake staff; a polite check-in keeps your request visible.

Referral Options at a Glance

A Practical Alternative: Meet the Rescue in Person

If your goal is to rehome rather than surrender, attending a Meet and Greet lets you talk with volunteers directly and learn what the rescue can currently handle. Upcoming events listed by the rescue include:

• Petco Tempe in-store Meet & Greet — Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, 11 a.m.–2 p.m., 1835 E Guadalupe #112, Tempe, AZ 85283. Free.
• PACC911 Adoptathon at All Saints Episcopal Church — Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, 10 a.m.–3 p.m., 6300 N Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85012. Free.
• LovePup Family Fest at Vertuccio Farms, Mesa — Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, 4–8 p.m., 4011 S Power Rd., Mesa, AZ 85212. Admission is a free pet food/supply donation, or a cash or CashApp donation.
• PACC911 Adoptathon at Franciscan Renewal Center — Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026, 10 a.m.–3 p.m., 5802 E Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley, AZ 85253. Free.
• PACC911 Adoptathon at Pet Supplies Plus, Scottsdale — Sunday, Dec. 6, 2026, 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m., 31319 N Scottsdale Rd. #125, Scottsdale, AZ 85266. Free.

Any Rat Rescue is a rescue partner of the PACC911 animal welfare community (pacc911.org), which is a further route to nearby organizations if the rescue's own network is full.

What Not to Assume

The rescue's published information does not state fees for surrendering a rat, nor does it promise that a waitlist request will be fulfilled. Treat the waitlist as a request for help, not a reservation, and have the humane-society referral ready as a backup if your timeline is short.

Any Rat Rescue lists five upcoming in-person events where you can meet adoptable rats, all in the Phoenix metro area between October 17 and December 6, 2026. Four are free to attend; the LovePup Family Fest in Mesa asks for a free pet food/supply donation or a cash or CashApp donation instead of an admission fee. The rescue is a foster network rather than a shelter, so these meet-and-greet events are the main way to see rats in person before adopting.

Upcoming Events at a Glance

How to Use These Events

1. Pick an event by location and date. Tempe and Mesa suit the East Valley; Phoenix, Paradise Valley, and Scottsdale suit the north-central metro. Note that November 7 has two events — an afternoon Adoptathon in Phoenix and an evening festival in Mesa — so you could attend both.
2. Confirm before you drive. The rescue describes itself as a small, all-volunteer organization, and event details can change. Check the site or contact the rescue before traveling, especially for the farther venues.
3. Bring the right entry item where required. Only the LovePup Family Fest asks for a donation; the other four events are listed as free.
4. Plan to talk to volunteers. Because Any Rat Rescue operates through foster homes rather than a shelter, the people at these events are your route to learning which rats are available and what the adoption process involves.

What to Expect and What to Check

• Rats available: The rescue places roughly 200 pet rats per year and accepts any domestic rat regardless of health, age, or temperament, so the mix at each event can vary.
• Not a shelter visit: There is no facility to drop in on. Events and direct contact with the rescue are the ways to meet animals.
• Capacity limits: The rescue states that surrender capacity is limited and that it keeps a waitlist for foster space — useful context if you are also looking to rehome a rat rather than adopt.
• Partnership context: The PACC911 Adoptathons are run through the Phoenix Animal Care Coalition, of which Any Rat Rescue is a rescue partner; other animals and rescues will likely be present too.

For the most current schedule and any last-minute changes, use the events listed on anyratrescue.org as your starting point and contact the rescue directly with questions about specific rats or adoption requirements.

Any Rat Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, no-kill rescue dedicated to finding loving, forever homes for pet rats in need. It has served the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area since 2004 and places roughly 200 pet rats each year. It accepts any domestic rat regardless of health, age, or temperament. The organization is not a shelter but a network of volunteer foster homes, and its intake capacity is limited, so surrendering a rat may involve a waitlist or a referral to another agency.

What the organization does

• Rescue and rehoming: Any Rat Rescue takes in domestic rats and matches them with adopters. Because it is no-kill, it does not euthanize animals for space or convenience, and it does not turn away rats based on health, age, or temperament.
• Foster-based model: Rats live in volunteer foster homes rather than a central facility. This means the number of animals the group can hold at any time depends on available foster space.
• Adoption events: The rescue hosts and attends public meet-and-greet and adoption events, mostly in the Phoenix area, where people can meet rats and talk with volunteers.
• Community partnership: It is a rescue partner of PACC911, a Phoenix-area animal welfare coalition.

Who it serves and where

Any Rat Rescue focuses on the Phoenix metropolitan area. Its published event schedule lists locations in Tempe, Phoenix, Mesa, Paradise Valley, and Scottsdale. If the group is at capacity in the Phoenix area, it refers families with urgent needs to the Arizona Humane Society; in Tucson, it refers to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona.

What to expect if you want to surrender a rat

Because the rescue is small and all-volunteer, intake is not guaranteed. The organization keeps a waitlist for foster space and does its best to help, but when it is full it directs people to the referral agencies above. If you need to surrender a rat, contact the rescue directly for current availability rather than assuming immediate placement.

What to expect if you want to adopt

Adoption happens through the rescue's meet-and-greet events and direct contact. Upcoming events listed on the site include:

Event details and dates can change, so confirm with the rescue before traveling.

Key things to know before contacting the rescue

• It is volunteer-run. Response times and intake availability depend on volunteers and foster capacity.
• It is regional. The rescue serves the Phoenix metro area; people outside that area should ask about options or expect a referral.
• It accepts all domestic rats. Health, age, and temperament are not barriers to intake, though space still limits how many rats can be taken at once.
• Adoption is not the same as shopping. The rescue's purpose is rehoming rats in need, and events are the main public entry point for meeting animals.

For current policies, surrender requests, or adoption questions, contact Any Rat Rescue directly through its website, anyratrescue.org.

Any Rat Rescue does not publish a phone number or email address on its home page. To reach the organization, use the contact option provided on anyratrescue.org and send a message describing whether you want to adopt, foster, surrender a rat, or ask a general question. Expect a slower reply than you would get from a staffed shelter: the group describes itself as a small, all-volunteer organization, and its ability to take in surrenders is limited.

What to Include in Your Message

Because the rescue runs on volunteer time, a specific first message gets a more useful answer. State your purpose in the subject line and give the details a volunteer needs to route your request.

• Adopting: say you are interested in adoption, note your city, and ask about the next Meet and Greet event.
• Surrendering a rat: give the number of rats, their sex, approximate age, and any health or temperament issues. The rescue accepts any domestic rat regardless of health, age, or temperament, but space is the limiting factor.
• Fostering or volunteering: say which you are offering and how much space or time you have.
• General questions: ask about the rescue's process, its foster network, or its PACC911 partnership.

If You Need to Surrender a Rat Urgently

Any Rat Rescue is a network of foster homes, not a shelter, and it keeps a waitlist when foster space is full. If you cannot wait, the rescue's own guidance is to contact a larger animal welfare organization:

You can still join the foster-space waitlist while pursuing those options, since the rescue says it does its best to help.

Meeting the Rescue in Person

The fastest way to talk with volunteers and meet adoptable rats is at a Meet and Greet or adoption event. These are free unless noted, and no appointment is mentioned.

Events are the best contact route if your question is about a specific rat, since you can see the animal and speak with its foster directly.

Background That Affects How You Contact Them

Any Rat Rescue has served the Phoenix metropolitan area since 2004, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and places roughly 200 pet rats a year. It is a no-kill rescue and a partner of the PACC911 animal welfare community. Those facts shape the contact experience: decisions are made by volunteers, capacity fluctuates, and referrals to larger shelters are a normal part of the process rather than a refusal to help.