Animal Rescues

How many of you watched Oprah on puppy mills this last Friday? Very sad and eye opening. As you may have gathered, I have a pet guinea pig. Did you know that in addition to shelters and rescues for dogs and cats, there are guinea pig and bunny rescues?

About five years ago I heard about Critter Corral, a local rescue for guinea pigs. This non-profit organization takes in guinea pigs people don't or can't keep and ones that have been abandoned. Believe it or not, some people think domestic animals can just be left loose in the wild. I adopted two guinea pigs from Critter Corral: Melba Toast and B.B. Joe. Melba came from owners that got rid of her because they had too many. B.B.'s family moved and didn't want to take him with them.

It is surprising how many guinea pigs don't have homes and end up in shelters. What makes me sad is that pet stores continue to buy small animals, such as guinea pigs, rats, hamsters, etc., from breeders. Unfortunately, not all of them sell and then end up at shelters (or worse). This is especially true for guinea pigs (and probably other small mammals) that are all one color (especially albinos) and ones that are older and bigger.

What can we do to make a difference? Adopt animals from shelters/rescues instead of pet stores. If pet stores aren't selling many animals, maybe they'll stop carrying them. You can also help by having your pet spade or neutered. If you're interested in seeing or having a puppy, kitten, or baby guinea pig, you'll find plenty of those at the shelter as well. Many organizations also allow you to sponsor a pet. At the Critter Corral, by giving a donation, you are sent a picture of a guinea pig you sponsor. This would be great for children who aren't ready to have a pet of their own.

A terrific animal website to peruse is petfinder.com. It allows you to search for an adoptable pet by location, animal, size of animal, etc.