Out of The Pocket Micro-Sanctuary

09/03/2026

We have eight beautiful young rats looking for their forever homes 🐀

In November last year, we assisted Bendigo Animal Welfare & Community Services in a rescue involving a variety of different species. We took in five young rats, four females and one male, who were so tiny that we assumed that the girls were too young to be potentially pregnant. However, a week and a half later, we had eight new arrivals. Just babies themselves, the rats we took in had come to us carrying precious little lives.

At 15 weeks old, their children are more than ready to fly the coop and discover all that life has to offer in families of their own. With four girls and four boys (two white and two black in each s*x!), this is the perfect opportunity for new and experienced ratty homes alike to welcome some fresh, energetic faces.

We've grouped the babies into four pairs, but ideally, we'd love to see them adopted in larger groups or to homes with existing rat family members! The five original rats that we took in (the parents of these beautiful little guys) are also all still looking for home. They are better suited for more experienced homes without children, so if you'd like to help them flourish into trusting companions, please let us know. The babies and adults alike can be adopted in any same-s*x combination!

Interested in adopting? 🏠
1. Have a read through our rat care guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D7dBb7hhNDz4vSSL6iwZv1T87irQW0hjGUcxV_fIZwo/edit?usp=sharing
2. Message us with any questions you might have, and ensure you have a complete, suitable set up with photos for us to approve
3. View the babies' profiles and apply to adopt via our PetRescue page: https://www.petrescue.com.au/groups/12225

Thank you to Charlize for the stunning photos of the babies 💕

09/01/2026

If anyone can help, please do. We are near the evacuation zone, and may need to move at any moment. Please give us some grace with responding to messages and organising adoptions as we deal with this. Adoption applications are still very appreciated.

***UPDATE: Companion animal donations now closed***

Out of the Woods Rescue is seeking temporary respite carers across Victoria to provide short-term care for displaced companion animals (dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, etc.) while their families get through this emergency.

If you can offer a safe place temporarily, please register via this link: https://form.jotform.com/260077419060857

Your support could be the reason a beloved pet stays safe and stress-free during an incredibly uncertain time.

If fostering isn’t an option, we are also accepting essential supplies to help keep pets safe and comfortable, including towels, bedding, pet food, water bowls, carriers, crates, litter, and trays. You can also find a list of items needed here: https://amzn.asia/49soqQ4

We have organised dedicated donation hubs around Victoria (Newport, Brighton, Geelong, Coburg and Pearcedale) for these to be dropped off, which will then be distributed to local accredited NFP animal rescues, and to people who contact us for support able to provide proof of residence in a fire-affected area. If you are able to donate please send us a direct message and we can provide you with the address of your nearest hub.

OOTW is not collecting or handling funds for this appeal. Please donate directly to the listed organisations or individuals. Any donations made to us will be treated as general donations to support our ongoing animal rescue and rehoming work. For more information please visit www.outofthewoodsrescue.org.au/bushfire-relief-full-disclaimer/

06/01/2026

We’ve had several rabbit breeders reach out (as recently as this morning) offering to “help us foster.”

That answer is a hard, immediate no. We are in a rabbit overpopulation crisis. Not a shortage. Not a temporary hiccup. A crisis.

We receive 150-200 requests for help every single week. Dumped rabbits. Neglected rabbits. Seniors. Medical disasters. Pregnant rabbits. Litters born outside. Rabbits people bought and didn’t plan for. Rabbits no one wants anymore.

We rescued 502 rabbits last year. That number is not impressive. It’s horrifying. It means 502 lives were failed before they ever reached us.

Breeding rabbits while rescues are drowning is like pouring gasoline on a house fire, then offering to hold the hose afterward. You don’t get credit for “helping” clean up a problem you actively contribute to. We won’t even get into the differences in quality of care.

We do not need more rabbits entering the pipeline. We need fewer. We need accountability. We need people to stop creating lives for profit, novelty, color, ears, or aesthetics while rescues are choosing who lives and who waits.

Fostering is about reducing harm. Breeding creates it.

You cannot claim to love rabbits while intentionally adding to the very system that gets them dumped, surrendered, neglected, and killed. You cannot say you’re helping while the math says otherwise.

So no, we will not partner with breeders - especially meat breeders. “Well I only eat Californian rabbits.” We will not accept help that comes with conditions. We will not normalize or legitimize practices that directly fuel the crisis we are fighting every single day.

Our focus is, and always will be, on the rabbits already here. The ones who exist. The ones who need help now. The ones who did not ask to be born into a system that fails them.

Rescue is not a hobby. It’s damage control. And we are not interested in working with anyone who keeps creating the damage.

19/11/2025

Our lovely Iris underwent a massive tumour removal surgery recently! She and her des*xed male companion, Beans, are available for adoption to a very special home: https://www.petrescue.com.au/listings/1101731

12/11/2025

22/08/2025

Unlikeliest rescues ready for adoption 🐁

In May of this year, we were in Melbourne waiting for some of our male mice to be castrated when we received a call from the vet clinic. Expecting to hear that our boys were ready, we were shocked to hear that someone had called asking for helping with three MORE mice!

These lucky mice had apparently been found by a good samaritan abandoned in a cage on the side of the road. Calls to the RSPCA and local council yielded no assistance, and by some miracle, we just so happened to be in the exact right place at the exact right time to take them in.

The tiny cage the mice were housed in was extremely rusty and the water bottle green with algae, making us suspect that the mice were housed outside. We were told that the finder had cleaned it and put hay inside — he told us that when he found it, waste filled the entire bottom and that there were other mice dead inside.

As soon as we saw them, we knew that these mice were all male due to the extensive fight wounds on their backs and tails. One of the mice had a necrotic tip to his tail, and we suspected that all were older due to them having arthritis. Our hearts broke as they huddled terrified in the corner together. Desperate for their own space, but forced to seek comfort in each other in their fear.

We immediately separated them and got to work on healing their wounds ❤️‍🩹

Now, months later, these boys are looking for homes of their own! Twister, Cluedo and Monopoly have come out of their shells and fully healed (although they’ll always carry scars), and can be adopted within VIC, NSW, or the ACT — contact us to find out if we transport to your area!

Because we don’t know how old these boys are, adopters should expect a short commitment for a potentially elderly companion. Trust us, they will reward you endlessly for your love and attention.

Looking for s***k? Look no further than Twister. Looking for placid? Cluedo is your man! Want a guy with hair to rival Einstein? Monopoly fits the bill. You can find all these boys on our PetRescue profile, linked in our bio 📲

13/08/2025

Yesterday Old Money went in to the vet to have a lump removal! 🐁

This boy came to us late last year from the RSPCA, and we suspect that he’s pretty old. Ever since we took him in, he’s had a small lesion on his back. While it had previously responded to topical treatment and didn’t seem to be growing or causing him issues, lately we noticed it increasing in size and becoming ulcerated. We knew that meant it was time for it to come off ✂️

Thanks to the team at this little trooper pulled through and is definitely going to feel a lot more comfortable from now on. While he’s staying with us for life, some of his family members are still up for adoption!

We make every medical decision (like tumour removals) on a case-by-case basis. Even though Old Money is an older boy, we knew having that lump removed was in his best interest.

Want to hear more about our ethic towards small animal care? Catch us at the “Tiny Sanctuary, Big Impact” workshop in Sydney on the 30th of this month! You can find the details on our story, or by following their posts (we’ll also be reminding you closer to the date) 🐓

Want to help us continue to provide the very best vet care to our beautiful rescued mice? We are always in need of donations.

20/07/2025

On the 11th, we had a total of FOUR mice go into the vet with lumps 🐁🩺

There was Tiny, a sweet little girl who was returned to us by a foster when they noticed a hairless dermal tumour growing on the back of her neck.

There was also Cleo, one of the original mother mice who came to us pregnant in February, and who had a small ulcerated growth on her back.

There was Hubble, a male mouse who we decided not to castrate after noticing a slow-growing tumour on his chest.

And Magnolia, one of the mice born in our care from an intake last September, who experienced a sudden growth of a very large malignant mammary tumour.

Unfortunately Magnolia’s tumour was not operable, and she was euthanised to prevent her from suffering any further discomfort/pain, reduction in mobility, and weight loss. However, the other three mice all had their growths removed by and are recovering well!

The cost of this vet trip was $1,100. We are always appreciative of donations — including physical ones such as food, bedding, toys, etc, and we still have over 200 mice looking for homes (some single males, and many groups of females/des*xed males)! 💕