SOUTH LOS ANGELES — An animal rescue group that took dozens of guinea pigs from a home where hundreds of the animals were found last week said that most of the critters “are slowly starting to relax and are doing well.”
Southern California Guinea Pig Rescue said 400 to 500 guinea pigs were at the residence when they visited July 17. Private rescue groups were able to remove 33 of them, prioritizing the most vulnerable animals: heavily pregnant females, nursing mothers, young babies and those with visible health conditions.
Valerie Warren, the group’s CEO, told City News Service that one of the youngest, a baby only hours old when taken from the property, died July 19, but the rest were doing well.
According to Warren, the guinea pigs were left behind by a previous tenant, and the landlord told the current tenant to find homes for them or risk eviction.
“They moved out and left behind an already rather large group from what I understand,” Warren said. “And that group continued to breed out of control in the months that preceded. … We felt like this residence was genuinely trying to care for these animals to the best of their abilities.”
Volunteers are working with other rescue groups and will be seeking fosters or adopters for the animals if they are successful in rescuing the remaining guinea pigs.
Warren said she was told that Los Angeles Animal Services would visit the home sometime this week to confiscate the rest of the guinea pigs.
“When the guinea pigs are in possession of animal control, we can continue from there,” Warren said. “We have been contacted by many other small animal rescues across the country who are wanting and willing to help. But … we will have to step back and wait for animal control to do their job,” she said.
Warren said July 19 that she was disappointed by the initial response from Los Angeles Animal Services, which reportedly visited the home and determined that all the animals’ needs were being met.
“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,” Warren said. “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.”
Los Angeles Animal Services officials did not reply to a request for comment on that allegation or confirmation of an upcoming visit.
During its initial visit July 17, a Southern California Guinea Pig Rescue spokesperson said the groups found the following:
• Dead 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.
• And insufficient water sources, such as a single bottle for 80-100 animals.
“Female guinea pigs can be bred immediately after giving birth, and male and female babies need to be separated between the ages of three and four weeks old otherwise they can breed,” Warren added. “It’s a vicious cycle that can quickly get out of hand. When we were on the property … we saw the breeding happening right in front of our eyes.”
Warren said her group was exploring opportunities to safely transport some of animals across the United States to “trusted, ethical rescues and sanctuaries. These potential partnerships could significantly expand our capacity to save these lives, and we urge the public to stay tuned to our social media pages for the latest updates as this effort develops.”
Experts say guinea pigs require specific care and diet, and are not ideal pets for children, but for those willing to put in the work and expense, they can be loving and delightful companions. The average life span of a guinea pig is 5 to 7 years.
The Southern California Guinea Pig Rescue can be reached at socalguineapigrescue.org, or by email at socalguineapigrescue@gmail.com. Rescue Garden is at therescuegarden@gmail.com.
