ANIMAL welfare officers caring for 550 gerbils found crammed into a one-bedroomed house are looking for new homes for the pets.

An RSPCA raid on a small property found the animals living in appalling conditions.

It comes a day after the animal-welfare charity highlighted the case of Jazz the pony, as revealed in the Daily Echo, when it released new statistics that give concerns about the state of animal welfare across the country.

The RSPCA has reported a rise in animal cruelty in the UK.

From June 1, 2004 to May 31, 2005 RSPCA inspectors found that the basic needs of 68,732 animals were not being met - a 78 per cent increase - and almost 3,000 animals were suffering because advice about their welfare had been ignored - a 90 per cent increase.

The RSPCA is pushing the government to introduce the draft Animal Welfare Bill which, among other things, would introduce a duty of care to all animal owners.

Now staff at Stubbington Ark want to rehouse the gerbils who are currently taking up about 70 cages at their animal shelter, near Fareham.

They have set up a special hotline in a bid to manage enquiries about the gerbils.

Manager Mike Ward said: "We're trying to find accommodation for them in other buildings, but it's not really good for them.

"We really want as many as possible to go to good homes and not have to live in the conditions they were in, which were totally unsuitable in broken cages.

"They really are very interesting animals. But it is proving difficult for us housing so many. In the meantime we will be asking for help from other animal shelters, but everyone's very busy."

Anyone wanting to adopt a gerbil, should ideally keep them in a gerbilarium, where they will burrow and tunnel.

The rodents eat little and owners only need to clean out cages every two to three months.

An RSPCA investigation has been launched into the find, late on Tuesday afternoon, and the owners of the property in Portsmouth could face prosecution.

Insp Mike Garrity added: "They really were in squalor. They were very poor conditions and very crowded."

Staff at Stubbington Ark are undertaking the task of separating male and female gerbils so their numbers do not increase and are checking their health.

To adopt one, call 01329 666911.