Now that I'm done with the cuteness, I can go on to tell the sad story.
I was CONSIDERING a hamster for the near future and had been doing a lot of research on them although I had a Syrian as a kid. That thing bit me like no tomorrow and traumatized me and my sisters. I was in Surrey earlier this morning and got this brilliant idea to check in on the SPCA. After I passed the dog kennels, I walked into the cat room.
A volunteer was telling a mom and her two kids on the care of these dwarf hamsters and she seemed really eager to want to get them to adopt one. After they were done talking, I was asking general questions about the dwarves to the volunteer and found out that all 13 of the hammies were *supposed* to have been put down this morning. But the shelter couldn't find the papers for them, so the vet refused to do it.
I found out later from the front desk while the staff were talking amongst themselves that the "hamsters have to sit and wait for another day" to be put down. Meaning tomorrow morning. Honestly, I was horrified. I didn't walk in there expecting to come out with ANYTHING, but then I was put in the situation to rescue a life or leave them to die. I don't understand why they have to put them all down - why not just a few to free up some space, if need be?
I looked at them, observed how they lived in their own little world, oblivious that their short lives would end in less than 24 hours, and said to the volunteer, "I'll take one." Just like that. She seemed so happy. The mom and her kids also took one home but the rest are left to die...
I felt horrible to be put in the position to choose which one of them gets to live and which one gets to die, but I had to do it nonetheless. I know dwarf hamsters are sociable and capable of living together, but I don't have the space to house two if they don't get along. I finally picked him because he was nice about being rudely awaken and pet and super tame about being picked up, although he did nibble on my ring and a tad bit of my skin (not a bite).
This little guy has thus been given a second chance at life. He's just a baby.
I named him Wilbur.
[Edit] I wrote that last night. By now, the other ones are most likely gone already.