Canadian Chinchilla Rescue

It took Patty two weeks to travel nearly 2,000 miles down the East Coast. From Toronto, Canada, to Pennsylvania, to Virginia, to North Carolina, to Florida, to Louisiana, Patty was met night after night with a warm bed, fresh food and water.

Patty is not someone from the 1800s evading slavery with help from the underground railroad. Patty is a black velvet chinchilla who, through the work of her foster mom, Tanya Campbell, and a dedicated team of drivers, made it to her forever home in New Orleans.

“It was the ultimate story from a rescue perspective,” said Tanya who founded Canadian Chinchilla Rescue. “I’ve seen chins in horrific situations too, but the positive side of all the stories is that someone found them and they made their way to me.”

Nearly a 12 years ago, Tanya started an online store where she sold quality chinchilla products including hammocks and treats that were expensive or hard to come by in Canada. Her niche virtual storefront captured the attention of someone who needed to rehome a chinchilla, and as they say, the rest is history.

“From there, I realized I could take in one at a time, and then it kept growing,” said Tanya. “I have seven chins of my own now, and the most I’ve had at the rescue is around 38. We get babies and different colors. We have lots available for adoption.”

Of the dozens of chinchillas that come in and out of Tanya’s life, she does have a “permachin” named Jasper that she plans to keep at the rescue for good.

“When I got him, he only weighed 80 grams and his front leg looked like it was rotting,” recalled Tanya. “With the help of a vet, we were able to amputate the leg. Now Jasper’s five and nearly 500 grams. He’s my baby.”

During his recovery, Tanya fed Jasper goat’s milk by hand nearly every hour. While her level of dedication may seem extreme to some, it’s a standard of care she expects from those who adopt from Canadian Chinchilla Rescue.

“My adoption process isn’t easy,” she said. “It includes about 30 questions to make sure they do their research. It also includes a visit. They have to set up their supplies and send me a photo to approve before they’re cleared to bring the chinchilla home.”