Venice Woman Accused Of Trying To Release Rat Into Homeless Encampment

VENICE, CA — A video of a woman seemingly releasing a rat she had trapped into a homeless encampment raised concerns about health and safety in the community.

Resident Peggy Lee Kennedy said she was monitoring a CARE+ Sanitation Sweep on Nov. 16 to inform unhoused people in the area when she saw the woman walking north on Dell Avenue, coming from the canals, with a rat in a trap.

"I saw the woman with the rat walking toward the tents and, seriously, I didn't think she would be releasing a rat on unhoused people," Kennedy said. "When I realized what she was doing I yelled at her not to do it."

Kennedy said her main concern when she called out to the woman, was the health of the people at the homeless encampment because rats are known to cause human disease, according to Los Angeles Public Health.

The relocation of wildlife is illegal in California, as discussed by High Desert Wildlife Control LLC. This is for a variety of reasons including studies that show trapped and released animals go on to cause more damage and the possibility that the animal carries diseases that could be transferred to humans.

Kennedy said she has seen certain housed people in the community treat the unhoused population in Venice poorly.

"Another concern is how unhoused people are being portrayed, especially with this kind of truly awful behavior, by certain housed Venice people," Kennedy said. "She was dumping a likely diseased rat on very vulnerable people."