“It’s painful and shocking.” More than 400 guinea pigs were found at a home in South Los Angeles
Animal rescue volunteers found more than 400 Guinea pigs in a home in South Los Angeles this week, living under “unhygienic and overcrowded”.
Now, they ask the public to help raise or adopt some rescued animals or provide donations that will fund medical support and supply.
The Southern California Guinea Pig Rescue said volunteers found hundreds of guinea pigs Thursday night, which they called a “depressing and shocking” scene.
Some of these animals died. Others have medical problems, including ringworm and open wounds. Guinea pigs, some pregnant women or newborns, do not have enough water or proper food.
“She was unable to feed the guinea pig population as the tenant said, and the rescue team’s initial goal was to provide food, assess potential health problems, and start purchasing spill-rescue and responsible homes,” the group said in a press release. A group spokesperson could not be reached for comment on Saturday.
Volunteers visited the property to assess the severity of the situation and obtained an approximate number of guinea pigs.
(South California Guinea Pig Rescue)
Guinea pigs eating grass hay, vegetables and pellets live on corn husks. Video posted on YouTube shows guinea pigs harshly around the residence, some hidden in beer boxes or crowded in cages without food.
The organization contacted the tenant after learning about one of her emails from an email from the Los Angeles Animal Services Coordinator that she had ardent 200 guinea pigs at home and would face eviction if she didn’t move by Saturday. But it turns out that women have much more guinea pigs than they describe.
The organization said they were told a LA Animal Service lieutenant visited the property and determined that the guinea pigs were healthy and had enough shelter, food and water. Representatives for Los Angeles Animal Services could not be contacted Saturday for comment.
“We urge city officials and animal welfare communities to conduct a full investigation into the case and improve systemic response programs. If anything happens to these animals, shelter officials must be responsible.”
The group, along with the rescue garden, rescued 33 guinea pigs by companions Wee and Vegas guinea pig friends. They prioritize pregnant animals, newborns, animals with health conditions, and other most vulnerable animals.
The Southern California Guinea Pig Rescue Team can be contacted at socalguineapigrescue@gmail.com or through its website. The group’s press release also lists contact information for other animal rescue teams.
