Animal rescue volunteers made a shocking discovery at a home in south Los Angeles; more than 400 guinea pigs were being kept in a hoarder’s home in “unsanitary and overcrowded” conditions.
The rescue group, Southern California Guinea Pig Rescue, is asking for the public’s help adopting or fostering the animals or for donations to fund their recovery and care.
The owner of the home where the guinea pigs were found was facing eviction if she did not remove the animals from her house. A Los Angeles Animal Services coordinator emailed the SCGPR to alert them to the situation, hoping they could help.
The coordinator believed the woman had approximately 200 guinea pigs in her home, but when volunteers arrived to collect the guinea pigs they found the real number was double the coordinator’s estimate.
Valerie Warren, chief executive and co-founder of SCGPR, told the Los Angeles Times that they were told the guinea pigs belonged to a previous tenant who moved out but left the animals behind.
“They just continued to breed and breed and the rest of the people in the house were just overwhelmed,” Warren, who visited the home, said.
Some of the animals were found sick, injured, dehydrated, malnourished, or dead, but many others were found alive and in need of a home and care.
The animals, which typically eat grass hay, vegetables, or animal pellets, were living primarily off of corn husks.
Animal shelters are already struggling for space. After the pandemic, many people gave up pets they’d adopted during lock down. Now, the rescue has hundreds of guinea pigs to care for — and it’s taking steps to make sure they don’t have any more to deal with by separating the male and female guinea pigs.
Warren said the animals could number nearly 1,000 by November if they’re allowed to continue breeding.
“This is a dire situation,” she said. “This is just a cycle that’s not going to end until these guys are all taken in.”
In the meantime, it’s unclear if the animals are actually going to be removed from the home. They were reportedly told that an LA Animal Services lieutenant visited the home and determined the animals were healthy and had proper food, water, and shelter — a view the SCGPR does not share.
They put out a press release asking the city to take action to protect the animals.
“We urge City officials and the animal welfare community to fully investigate this case and improve systemic response protocols. Shelter officials must be accountable if anything happens to these animals,” the group said in a press statement.
