Colorado animal rescue works to house more than 500 guinea pigs

By Sarah Baines on April 9, 2024

A few hundred guinea pigs have better lives lined up for them, all thanks to an animal rescue in Fort Collins.

The rescue, Cavies and Canines, agreed to take on more than 500 surrendered guinea pigs from a breeder in Aurora. The breeder of over 30 years, who contemplated feeding the animals to birds of prey, was unable to manage the lot due to the recent unexpected death of her husband. According to the rescue, the guinea pigs were found in deplorable conditions and were overcrowded in small Tupperware containers without the proper amounts of hay, food or water. The rescue described the circumstances as a hoarding situation.

Established in 2016, the licensed guinea pig rescue has foster homes scattered throughout the Denver metro area, Northern Colorado and Colorado Springs. According to the non-profit, they typically have around 50 guinea pigs in their care at a time. They are now tackling the task of finding homes and care for ten times that amount, many of them pregnant or with health issues.

A rescue effort for 60 of the rodents was coordinated on Sunday, with 50 of them transported to a guinea pig sanctuary, Piggies Paradise, in Red Oak, Iowa, with the first batch arriving at 12:24 a.m. CT. According to the sanctuary, three of the guinea pigs gave birth the day of arrival, with more births expected within the next few weeks. A few of the furry transports are being treated with ringworm and upper respiratory diseases. Piggies Paradise is asking for donations and adoptees. More info can be found here.

Furthermore, Cavies and Canines posted on their Facebook page that they rescued 64 more of the animals on Monday, 10 of them plagued with medical issues. The rescue noted they “are facing thousands upon thousands of dollars in vet bills already.”

The Colorado rescue is asking for monetary donations and volunteers to help transport the guinea pigs to other rescues. The form to sign up to help with the rescue operation can be found here.