MORNING SENTINEL • January 2, 2022
Marianne Sansouci and Kate Spicer are a lab-coat-clad team that make up Maine Chinchilla Ranch and Shelter. Located in the garage of Sansouci’s Sidney home in Sidney, colony-style cages span almost the entirety of the space, organized like bookshelves with aisles in between. Each cage is large enough for multiple chinchillas and filled with hay and pumice dust, which they routinely bathe in. Chinchillas are mammals native to the Andes mountains, exclusive to countries including Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Chile. The Maine Chinchilla Ranch is leading the way in education worldwide, according to Spicer, providing new and pertinent information for pet owners, veterinarians and scientists from France, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere who have reached out for help.