Nearly 1,000 Mice Need Homes After Man Surrenders 150 Tubs of Rodents 'Reproducing Uncontrolled'

The "overwhelming population" has been reproducing at an alarming rate because they were not separated by sex, the New Hampshire SPCA said

A New Hampshire organization is seeking help agreeing to take in over 150 "filthy" tubs packed with mice.

On Friday, Nov. 15, the New Hampshire SPCA took to Facebook to seek help from community members following the unexpected influx of hundreds of pet mice. The mice were contained in seemingly unwashed tubs and "reproducing uncontrolled," CBS News reported.

The NHSPCA started the post with a call to action — "CAN YOU HELP?" — before explaining the organization's rodent predicament.

The pet owner surrendered the first of the critters on Monday, Nov. 11, after becoming "overwhelmed by the sheer number of mice in his possession," the organization said. Initially, the man said he had 150 of the pets, but it was later revealed that he actually had 150 tubs, each containing over a dozen mice.

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On Monday, the overwhelmed owner turned over three tubs holding 73 mice. According to the shelter's post, the organization anticipates around 1,000 by the time each tub is collected. The shelter said this estimate also factors in the speed with which the mice can reproduce and that numerous pregnant mice are among the animals.

"We have made multiple trips to his home, filling our vans with mice each visit," the post read. "These mice — who were not separated by sex — were living and reproducing in filthy plastic tubs that hadn't been cleaned in what appears to be a very long time."

The NHSPCA shared with PEOPLE on Nov. 18 that it has taken at least 610 mice so far, with another 100 coming in on Monday.

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Since the mice began arriving at NHSPCA's facilities, employees have been sorting them by sex and providing clean and safe conditions — bedding, fresh food, and water — that are refreshed daily. The organization also transferred some mice to other animal shelters around New England.

But with the "overwhelming population" — and the "alarming rate" at which mice reproduce — the nonprofit is now searching for adopters and foster homes for its mounting number of mice.

The NHSPCA, which started making the mice available for adoption on Nov. 14, told PEOPLE that 18 mice have found forever homes, and 50 are in foster care. The nonprofit added on social media that it is "seeking loving, compassionate foster families for many of these cuties."

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The nonprofit said in a Nov. 14 release that the mice are not common field mice but pet mice, sometimes called "fancy mice."

"Pet mice are typically friendly and curious. They are highly social and prefer to live in groups or, at the very least, in a pair. Pet mice are entertaining and relatively easy to care for," the release added.

For those who can't foster but still want to help the mice and NHSPCA, as its staff "navigate this difficult situation," the nonprofit also needs clean, lidded glass tanks to store the incoming mice.

"We have never seen anything like this. And the longer we wait to get all of the mice out of their terrible living conditions, the greater the likelihood is that the numbers will continue to grow. With a gestation period of just around 20 days, mice can reproduce at an alarming rate," Savannah Alcero, the director of animal and veterinary services at the NHSPCA, said in a statement.

Those interested in adopting or assisting a mouse from NHSPCA should visit the organization's website.