“They were hiding inside boxes”: a woman’s house turned out to be a colony of rats (6 photos)
The rodents tried to survive without water and built large nests inside drawers and under a bookshelf. 
Sarah Jordan, 31, was given a suspended prison sentence after she was found to have kept a colony of 112 rats in her home.
Animal welfare officers who visited a woman's home in Leyland, UK, were struck by the terrible smell of ammonia, which made it difficult for them to even breathe. 
Animal activist Jess Pearce, who made the complaint at Preston Magistrates' Court, found two large rat cages and three smaller ones in the house, as well as a further 38 rodents living at large. They built large nests inside drawers and under bookshelfs and tried to survive without water. 
“When I went inside, I felt a strong unpleasant smell that made my eyes water, and I began to worry about the health risks for the residents of the house. I saw bedding in the cages, but there was no food or water, although the air temperature in the room was quite high "One rat was drinking water from a leaking radiator," Pierce said. 
The rodents were taken into the care of the RSPCA charity. Some animals showed symptoms of respiratory distress, likely due to ammonia. Inspectors later reported that the pregnant females gave birth to 80 pups. 
Sarah Jordan was given a four-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, ordered to observe a 60-day curfew from 8pm to 7am, and banned from keeping pets other than cats.
During the hearing, the British woman pleaded guilty to violating the animal welfare law. 
