Lollypop Farm dealing with 800+ animals after DEC/USDA investigation

WALWORTH, N.Y. (WHEC) — Lollypop Farm is dealing with an influx of more than 800 animals as part of an investigation.

They were seized from World of Wildlife Educational Encounters in Walworth, Wayne County.

The animals are mostly rats, rabbits, and other small animals, many of them about to give birth. They arrived at Lollypop Farm Monday evening as part of an operation involving Human Law Enforcement officers, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The DEC removed a bobcat, alligator, snakes and hybrid wolves from the property.

Many of the females are pregnant and giving birth at Lollypop Farm.

The NYS DEC took a bobcat, alligator, snakes and hybrid-wolves. We’ve reached out to DEC. @news10nbc

— Berkeley Brean (@whec_bbrean) March 15, 2022

Lollypop is asking for the public’s help to provide the animals with housing, food and medical care. The greatest needs right now are hay, small mammal foods (rodent block and guinea pig pellets), towels and sheets. Tissue boxes and toilet paper tubes are also being requested. A full list of needs can be found here or by visiting your local Pet Supplies Plus.

Reno DiDomenico runs the humane society. He says they found rats packed into aquariums.

Brean: "How many did you take in and how many do you have now?"

DiDomenico: "We originally took in 500 animals and we are now approaching 700 right now."

In the two hours since they spoke, the number grew to 800+.

"For instance, we have six or seven mice in a tank," DiDomenico said. "Imagine the sides of a rat and you had 100 of them inside here."

He said the ammonia levels in the facility they were seized from were too high for even humans due to the lack of ventilation combined with animal waste.