The world is full of terrible people. My husband’s co-worker contacted us because he had caught a pet rat on a snowmobile trail. He saw shavings and a cage in the snow, then saw the rat, and knew someone dumped it. The rat was hiding in a wood pile. He set a Have-a-Heart trap and knowing we loved animals (especially rats), called us yesterday when he caught him.

Well, now we have Lucky Joe. He is a full grown male rat, I'm suspecting a bit elderly. He’s relatively lethargic, and he scratches a lot. We just picked him up last night, so I’m hoping these symptoms are mostly from exposure and dehydration (he was outside for 2 nights that we know of). He is a tan colored hooded rat. He was really “faded” looking when we picked him up but boy has he come around. His eyes look bright, he’s alert, he always comes to the edge of the cage when I talk to him, and he loves any little treats we give him. He had little blisters on his hands—they reminded me of burn blisters—but they seem to be pretty much gone now. They were pretty puffy, and one seemed to be a little raw looking. The toenails on one foot looked a little red but look better today. I assume he was digging at the trap to get out. He’s quite a friendly big guy, like a big cuddly teddy bear. I'm thinking of writing a letter to the editor of my local newspaper about this injustice, I’m just afraid I would get a phone call asking for him back, and there’s a fat chance I’d return him to someone ignorant enough to dump him on a snowmobile trail.

My heart breaks when I look at him, he is so friendly. Obviously at one point in his life he was very loved. He doesn’t mind my cats or dogs, the ones he’s met (the ones that aren't scared of him that is). If only he could talk! The only thing he says that I can understand is, “I want a treat!!” and “I can smell you, now where’s my shoulder and my treat?” Oh, and don’t forget, “Why did you clean my cage? You stole my stash and ruined all my hiding spots!”

• Lucky Joe by Jess Burns, Windsor, VT

• Brave Shrek by Clivia, Bern, Switzerland

• Natalie by Kate Borus, Toms River, NJ

• Popeye by Charlotte Tropp, Upper Marlboro, MD