Animal Rescue Volunteers found more than 400 guinea pigs in a southern house of Los Angeles, living in “insanitary and overcrowded” conditions.
Now they ask the public to help promote or adopt some of the rescued animals or provide donations that will finance medical support and supplies.
South California Guinea Pig Rescue said that volunteers had found hundreds of guinea pigs on Thursday evening in what they described as a “painful and alarming” scene.
Some animals died. Others have had medical problems, including ringworm and open injuries. The guinea pigs, some speakers or the newborns, did not have enough water or appropriate food.
Volunteers visited the property to assess the severity of the situation and obtain an approximate number of cobayaes.
(Southern California Guinea Pig Rescue)
The guinea pigs, which eat grass hay, vegetables and pellets, lived corn balls. A video Posted on YouTube has shown that guinea pigs are rushing around the residence, some hiding in beer boxes or crowded in a food without food.
The group contacted the tenant after learning an e-mail from an animal services coordinator in Los Angeles whom she had raised 200 guinea pigs at her home and faced the expulsion if she did not move them on Saturday. But it turned out that the woman had many more guinea pigs than what was described.
Valerie Warren, director general and co -founder of Southern California Guinea Pig Rescue, said that the group had been informed that another tenant who lived in the house owned the guinea pigs but that he left.
“They just continued to reproduce and reproduce and the rest of the inhabitants of the house were just outdated,” said Warren, who visited the residence.
The tenant who risks losing his accommodation has obtained an extension from his owner, but it is not known how long, said Warren.
Animal shelters are short of space to shelter animals, especially after the pandemic when people started to abandon the pets they obtained when they were locked up at home. The objective, Warren said, is to separate male and female guinea pigs from residence and find them houses. If they are not divided, it is possible that the number of animals can reach 1,000 by November, she said.
“This is a disastrous situation,” she said. “It’s just a cycle that will not end as long as these guys are not all welcomed.”
The group said they were worried after being informed that a lieutenant of Los Angeles Animal Services visited the property and determined that the guinea pigs were healthy and had enough shelters, food and water. A representative of Los Angeles Animal Services could not be joined to comment on Saturday.
“We urge the city officials and the animal welfare community to fully investigate this case and improve systemic response protocols. Responsible for refuge must be responsible if something happens to these animals,” the press release said.
The group as well as the rescue garden, the little companions and the friends of vegas for the cobayes rescue 33 guinea pigs. They prioritize pregnant animals, newborns, those with health problems and others that were most vulnerable. People who want to adopt will have to wait for animals to be healthy and have given birth, said Warren.
The Southern Guinea Pork rescue group can be contacted at Socalguiapigrescue@gmail.com or through its website. The contact details for other animal rescue groups are also listed in the group press release.