PRESS RELEASE |

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 21, 2025

Southern California Guinea Pig Rescue ("SCGPR") releases the following update on the "LA 400" guinea pig hoarding situation. ______

Los Angeles Animal Services Issues Call for Help

On Tuesday, July 15, SCGPR received a request from Los Angeles Animal Services ("LAAS") for assistance with a hoarding situation in South Los Angeles, with up to 200 guinea pigs potentially in need of rescue. LAAS advised that the guinea pig owner in question was facing eviction from her rental property unless all animals were removed by Saturday, July 19. Because LAAS expressly requested rescue assistance, SCGPR established contact with the tenant.

On Thursday, July 17, a team of volunteers, including representatives from SCGPR and The Rescue Garden, obtained access to the property to assess and triage the situation with the tenant's cooperation. Upon arrival, the rescue team quickly learned that the prior estimates had been significantly understated. SCGPR managed to fashion makeshift carriers for 33 guinea pigs and intended to return to the property on Saturday. ______

SCGPR's Assessment and LAAS's Response

It became immediately clear that the situation was critical. SCGPR observed pervasive medical conditions in the guinea pigs, including but not limited to ringworm, pregnancy, open wounds, and neurological issues. SCGPR also observed that the guinea pigs lacked access to adequate space, bedding, water, and food. In addition to these living conditions, the males and females had not been separated nor fixed. Because guinea pigs can reproduce at 3 weeks of age and can become pregnant within hours of giving birth, SCGPR determined swift, collaborative intervention was essential.

Following SCGPR's visit, LAAS reportedly sent an officer to the property. On Friday, July 18, SCGPR was informed that LAAS would be returning on Wednesday, July 23, to retrieve the remaining animals.

In subsequent communications to SCGPR, an LAAS representative reported that the guinea pigs had basic necessities, they found no dead animals on the property, and SCGPR's report of the living conditions and medical problems had been exaggerated.

In the evening on July 18, SCGPR issued a press release explaining that LAAS's comments are unfounded and directly contradict the conditions SCGPR representatives personally observed and documented. ______

Weekend Update

Over the weekend, SCGPR learned that, thanks to the rescues' involvement, additional time was granted to rehome the guinea pigs. Unfortunately, SCGPR has since been denied further access to the property, leaving us with little choice but to rely on LAAS to mobilize. LAAS has not contacted us to confirm its intent to retrieve the remaining guinea pigs from the property on Wednesday nor the steps it is taking to prepare for the intake.

We wish we could have rescued each and every animal on Thursday. However, SCGPR representatives did the best they could on extremely short notice, with few resources and little information. Ultimately, 33 safe guinea pigs is better than none. Thanks to the volunteers' collective efforts, one of the pregnant sows was able to give birth to three pups in a warm, safe, and clean environment. ______

SCGPR Calls for LAAS to Mobilize and Respond

SCGPR is a completely foster-based and volunteer-run rescue that lacks the resources to intake, assess, rehabilitate, and rehome hundreds of guinea pigs on short notice. A situation of this magnitude requires a coordinated rescue effort, and we are calling on LAAS to mobilize a response team with support from LA-area small rodent rescues.

We deeply appreciate the public's support, and we regret that this is not the comprehensive update everyone (including us) hoped for. Despite these hurdles, we remain committed to our rescue mission and to supporting Southern California-area shelters, and we await coordination and instruction from LAAS about the LA 400. In the meantime, we are working to determine the best way to allocate resources to the situation.

If you are in a position to do so, we encourage members of the public who are educated in guinea pig care to adopt from your LA-area shelters to free up resources for the anticipated intake of the LA 400. We also encourage the public to write to their local and state representatives to support banning the sale of small mammals from pet stores. ______

Please direct media inquiries to Kit Benson at kitscgpr@gmail.com.

In furtherance of the investigation and third-party privacy interests, we are not releasing additional video footage at this time.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: July 18, 2025

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CRISIS IN SOUTH LOS ANGELES: 400+ GUINEA PIGS FOUND IN HOARDING CASE

Southern California Guinea Pig Rescue Urges Rescues, the Public, and Local Officials to Take Action

______

Earlier this week, Southern California Guinea Pig Rescue (SCGPR) and several other members of the small animal rescue community were alerted to a dire animal welfare situation involving an overwhelming number of guinea pigs in South Los Angeles. An email from a Los Angeles Animal Services coordinator advised that a member of the public was facing eviction and urgently needed to surrender approximately 200 guinea pigs.

Upon receiving contact information for the individual, SCGPR reached out immediately. The tenant explained that unless the guinea pigs were relocated by Saturday, July 19, she would lose her housing. We unsuccessfully attempted to explain that safely removing and relocating that many animals requires extensive time, resources, and careful assessment.

______

Rescue Team Finds 400–500 Guinea Pigs in Crisis

On the evening of July 17, a team of rescue volunteers, including Claire B, Megan S from the Rescue Garden, Valerie W from SCGPR and 2 other volunteers, visited the property to assess the severity of the situation and obtain an approximate headcount.

As the tenant had stated she was unable to feed the population of guinea pigs, the rescue team’s initial objective was to provide food, evaluate potential health issues, and begin to source overflow rescues and responsible homes.

However, what they encountered was distressing and alarming:

• An estimated 400–500 guinea pigs, more than double the 200 originally reported

• Deceased animals on the property

• Widespread medical issues, including ringworm, head tilt, tumors, open wounds, and hair loss

• Overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions

• Countless pregnant females and newborn babies

• A diet restricted to cornhusks

• Insufficient water sources, such as a single bottle for 80-100 animals

Despite already operating at full capacity, SCGPR, The Rescue Garden, Wee Companions and Vegas Friends of Guinea Pigs Rescue removed 33 guinea pigs, prioritizing the most vulnerable animals: heavily pregnant females, nursing mothers, young babies, and those with visible health conditions. These animals are now receiving urgent care.

_____

Animal Services Response Raises Concerns

On July 18, an SCGPR volunteer was informed that a Los Angeles Animal Services lieutenant had visited the property and determined that:

“Most appear healthy and happy”

“All basic needs are met— shelter, food, and water”

Given that our rescue team witnessed firsthand the situation’s severity, LA Animal Services’ statements are deeply troubling and antithetical to animal welfare standards and the rescue mission shared by our organizations. SCGPR has photo and video evidence of the conditions and plans to release a full video report in the coming days.

We have been told that Animal Services may return to the property next week and attempt to remove the remaining animals, but Animal Services representatives have also stated that they

do not have the resources to accommodate this number of guinea pigs.

_____

How You Can Help

We are urgently calling on the public to foster or adopt from these rescues, allowing us to free up resources necessary to provide critical medical care for these animals.

We are also accepting donations to support medical care and supplies for the 33 guinea pigs taken in by our 4 rescues.

Fellow rescues in other areas can assist in intake and placement.

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.

“This is one of the most overwhelming and heartbreaking cases we’ve ever seen,” said a representative from SCGPR. “The response from the Lieutenant who visited the property this morning in the face of such visible suffering is unacceptable.”

Video here; https://youtu.be/pf2TzD985dY

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Contact & Updates

Southern California Guinea Pig Rescue

📍 Website: http://www.socalguineapigrescue.org

📧 Email: socalguineapigrescue@gmail.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socalguineapigrescue/

Wee Companions

📍 Website: https://www.weecompanions.org/

📧 Email: weecompanions@aol.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weecompanions2025/

Vegas Friends Of Guinea Pigs