05/12/2026
Chompers Story
This is Chompers and her story. Chompers is aptly named for teeth that you cannot see in these pictures and that she has not yet, but may, still use on me at some point in the future.
Chompers was abandoned by her owner at a shopping center in west Orlando. She was left in a cardboard box along with some supplies outside of a storefront where an owner feeds some local cats, most likely with the hopes that the owner would take the hedgehog in. Fortunately, Chompers was found very quickly, and another business owner, whose daughter contacted me, took her in temporarily. We did try to help facilitate her finding a placement but to no avail. Due to this, we decided to bring her in to reside here with us, though it is exceedingly rare that we take in rescues. In this particular situation, we are extremely glad we did.
Upon Chompers’ arrival and while giving her our initial once-over and relaxing bath, we were able to ascertain her gender, visualize a badly infected bottom right leg and right foot with hair and a slight piece of string wrapped around it, as well as a completely missing left foot long since healed at the bottom of the left leg. Chompers had actually been happily running on a wheel in her temporary home, so her healed leg and current infected foot were not slowing her down in that sense but definitely needed attention. We’re hopeful the right foot has been caught in time that it will not follow the same fate as her left foot did.
We’re sharing her story for us to help others hopefully listen and not judge. We’re not sure what brought her owner to leave her there in such a state and with active injuries. It’s very bothersome mainly due to the fact that she was at risk already being left out in the open like that but with an injury even more so. We just happened to be fortunate that the storefront’s resident ‘cat lady’ helped her into the arms of the gentleman who took her home and explained the situation to his daughter who lives out of state but still searched for and contacted us. We’re just hopeful that maybe an owner, no matter what circumstances they are finding themselves in, be it financial, mental or physical health problems of their own, can contact local resources for help before this type of measure is taken because the hedgehog community is a superb network of people who step in to help others and our little land urchin prickly pets. Please feel free to share this with any individuals or groups!
