I used to have rats years ago, and when I did I found the books by Debbie Ducommon and The Rat Fan Club, which also has a group over over 10,000 members on Facebook. Debbie has had quite the career for working with rats and their owners, as well as supplying me with costumes for my guinea pigs on her eBay page. She’s always very professional, polite, and empathetic.
This weekend, she moved on to a new position as Grand Caretaker at the Rainbow Bridge.

Taken from the Facebook public post last night:
“LEAD ADMIN VERY SAD MESSAGE : It’s with the heaviest of hearts I must inform all of our furry family that a great loss has occured. Debbie Ducommun passed away on Saturday night due to complications from the flu. I can only begin to tell all of you what a great loss this is. I have been part of the Rat Fan Club from the beginning in 1992 and I learned so much from Debbie Ducommun about caring for rats. She was a first rate person who put others and especially rats before herself. Her husband Larry Ducommun currently is taking care of her rats but if anyone in northern California can help please come forward. God now has a caretaker for all the rats at the Rainbow Bridge. So when the tears start to flow when your little ones pass remember….Debbie will be there to greet them ”

All her rats have been placed in new homes; some permanent and some foster. There was a pair of guinea pigs they were still trying to find placement for this afternoon.

Our heart goes out to her family and her many, many grateful rat parents.