We are unable to respond to each owner surrender request because unfortunately, there are too many. We receive numerous requests every day and we cannot accommodate owner surrenders, we are full, everyone is full. We want to be clear this is a terrible time to rehome your guinea pig. 

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We are currently experiencing crisis levels of unwanted guinea pigs. When we started (the work to start) this rescue, one of our goals was to clear the shelters of guinea pigs and at that time, it was an attainable goal. There were never more than 20 guinea pigs in the shelter at any given time. There are now over 200, and that is just one county's city shelters. That doesn't include county, unincorporated and private shelters, or any other shelters in the many towns within the three counties we serve.

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We wish we could help all of these guinea pigs because they deserve better. But we have a limited amount of volunteers and we can't take on more than we can handle. There is no abundance of great adopters out there and while we have a robust adoption process that we feel attracts really great adopters, we have some piggies that have been in foster homes for years without a single application. 

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We have to prioritize guinea pigs that are in danger of being euthanized, guinea pigs that have a medical condition that is treatable (or not) that will never get better in the shelter system, guinea pigs that have been dumped in a parking lot, public park or trash can. Elderly guinea pigs that have months to live that have been abandoned at the shelter to die. We have to prioritize life or death guinea pigs.

 

We want to be a resource for you. If  you feel like you "don't have the time to love and care for them the way they deserve", we can give you tips on how to streamline care.

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If you're experiencing financial hardship and need supplies, we can help.

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If you're moving and feel like you can't take them with you, we've evacuated during fire season with 30 guinea pigs in tow, we can help you!

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If you're traveling, we offer low cost boarding, please reach out and let us try and help you keep your guinea pigs.

 

We have a lot of information in our Guinea Pig Care section as well. 

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As we mentioned on our Adoption FAQ page, if you have newborn guinea pigs, senior guinea pigs, guinea pigs in an immediate life threatening situation or, you as the owner have been diagnosed with a terminal illness, please contact us.

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For other situations (new baby, moving, child gone to college or lost interest) we recommend you try to rehome them yourself. First, reach out to family and friends. Nextdoor apps and neighborhood groups are a great place to post. As well as online at Guinea Pig Finder and Rescue Me.

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We've set up a  Google Group  to provide another place for you to list your guinea pigs if you need to rehome them. Please read all the instructions and include all the requested information for best success. We'll refer potential adopters to this list, but you will be responsible for making all the arrangements. 

 

 

Please plan ahead and make a backup plan, rehoming your guinea pig is not a fast process. 

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Please be advised that it is illegal to abandon your pets. (Cal. Penal Code § 597s.)

Please do NOT release your pigs outside, as they cannot survive in the wild. 

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