100s of rats running on property Birmingham, AL (US) Incident Date: Wednesday, Jul 31, 1991 County: Jefferson Local Map: available Disposition: Not Charged Person of Interest: Norma Weakley

Case ID: 7464 Classification: Hoarding Animal: rodent/small mammal (pet) View more cases in AL (US) Login to Watch this Case

Norma Weakley, 77, reluctantly paid $90 to get rid of the hundreds of rats that had taken up residence at her home.

Weakley said, "Those rats were the cutest little things you've ever seen."

The self-described "rat lady" rat infestation turned her into something of a local celebrity and she wants a return visit from the exterminator. Weakley said, "I'm ready to pay $90 to get rid of some of these folks that's been coming by to see me," she said giggling.

In spite of some of her mild complaints about all the attention, the 77 year old widow has cheerfully opened her home to another reporter. The reporter was greeted by her three big dogs with tails wagging and rushing over to meet the visitor.

One dog, a black Labrador named Sable, belongs to Weakley's former neighbor who moved away five years ago but hasn't gotten around to picking up his pet.

Another dog named Bracky was destined for puppy heaven when Weakley took him home from the Birmingham Humane Society six years ago.

Her third dog a scraggly critter could pass for Benji. The dog showed up at her door one day and she invited him in to stay. Weakley's cat a stray named, Daisy, moved in a few months ago and promptly gave birth to quadruplets.

Weakley readily opens her home to every creature that wanders by probably explains why she wasn't upset when a colony of rats started living in her back yard.

The rats were probably attracted by the large amounts of dog food she sets near her back door for the squirrels to nibble. She even put dog food into the lower branches of a nearby tree so she could watch the squirrels from her kitchen window.

Weakley said she noticed a year or so ago the squirrels were beginning to look like rats. When she looked closer, she determined they were rats. The rats had become used to eating the Alpo she put out and said she didn't have the heart to change from Alpo to arsenic.

Weakley said, "They had such innocent little faces. They didn't ask to be rats.... I enjoyed watching them play in the tree. I put water out for them every day."

When the Health Department visited her home two weeks ago it appeared to be hundreds of rats including a number of chubby little baby rats. The inspector told Weakley to get rid of them, because even the sweetest looking rodent can carry disease.

Weakley didn't worry about disease because to her they looked very healthy. She said the rats never came into her home.

Someone from the Humane Society wrote to commend Weakley for the kind-hearted way she views all living creatures. "She has to say that I guess, because I'm always sending them money."

Weakley said, "Everybody that's come out has been real nice. With all the rats dying, I hate to say I've had a good time. But I really have."

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References

Telegram-Tribune, San Luis Obispo - Aug 14, 1991

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