This story has been updated with a statement from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — An employee at a Family Dollar in Whitehaven is sounding the alarm on what they call a rat infestation.
In these photos you can see several large rodents that a worker said can be found in the storage room at a Family Dollar located at 4100 South Plaza Drive.
An employee at Family Dollar showed these pictures she said were rats in the Whitehaven store. (submitted photos) 
An employee at Family Dollar showed these pictures she said were rats in the Whitehaven store. (submitted photos) 
An employee at Family Dollar showed these pictures she said were rats in the Whitehaven store. (submitted photos)
The employee who wants to remain anonymous in fear of losing their job, said the rats enter the store through shipments dropped off.
“If we go in the backroom we have the chance that something could pop out or fly up our nose and make us sick,” they said.
When management called for an exterminator, the source of the issue wasn’t being taken care of. That leaves workers to clean up rat urine and feces as the problem gets worse.
“To be honest, we done killed at least 20 of them junts so it could be more than that in there because they are still multiplying them. The mom is still out,” the employee said.
A woman who also didn’t want to be identified said she frequently visits store and it’s always a mess.
“Clean it up.. it makes the city of Memphis look very bad,” she said. “Very nasty … I wouldn’t send my dog in there.”
She and the employee are hoping something is done quickly to improve conditions at the store.
“Maybe with Channel 3 news looking into it, it might be a help for these people that work. Nobody wants to go to work in filth.”
WREG reached out to The Tennessee Department of Agriculture. The department said they received an anonymous complaint on Dec. 15 about the Family Dollar store. After checking out the complaint shortly after, inspectors within the Food Safety Section of the Consumer and Industry Services Division determined there was a rat problem.
Inspectors gave notice to management that things needed to improve and will be back to follow-up at a later unannounced date.
WREG also reached out to Family Dollar’s corporate office but have yet to hear back.
