Animal rescue organizations have issued a call for public assistance in finding homes for the hundreds of guinea pigs discovered at a residence in South Los Angeles this week.
Southern California Guinea Pig Rescue (SCGPR) reported that between 400 and 500 guinea pigs were present at the location during their visit on Thursday night.
The landlord had provided the tenant with a deadline until Saturday to rehome the animals or face eviction, but SCGPR officials stated that this deadline has since been extended.
Valerie Warren, SCGPR’s chief executive, shared with City News Service that they are actively seeking partnerships to facilitate the safe transportation of some guinea pigs to trusted rescues and sanctuaries throughout the United States.
“These potential partnerships could significantly expand our capacity to save these lives,” Warren said.
She urged the public to follow SCGPR’s social media channels for updates on the growing effort.
The overwhelming response from the community has been appreciated, and Warren emphasized that they are exhaustively exploring all available options in this challenging situation.
Working alongside organizations such as Rescue Garden, Wee Companions Small Animal Adoption in San Diego, and Vegas Friends of Guinea Pigs Rescue, SCGPR encountered severe issues during their visit.
Among their findings were deceased animals, numerous medical problems—including ringworm, head tilt, tumors, open wounds, and significant hair loss—overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions, and numerous pregnant females along with newborns.
The diet provided to these guinea pigs was limited to cornhusks, with insufficient water resources, as there was only a single bottle to serve 80-100 animals.
Despite SCGPR already operating at full capacity, the rescue groups prioritized taking in 33 guinea pigs, focusing on the most vulnerable animals, particularly heavily pregnant females, nursing mothers, and young babies.
These selected animals are now undergoing urgent medical care.
Warren stated that the animals were reportedly abandoned by a previous tenant, leading to a significantly larger population as they continued to breed uncontrollably over the following months.
She said, “Female guinea pigs can be bred immediately after giving birth, and male and female babies need to be separated by the age of three to four weeks, or they can breed as well.”
Warren emphasized the distressing nature of the situation, noting, “It’s a vicious cycle that can quickly get out of hand. When we were on the property Thursday night, we saw the breeding happening right in front of our eyes!”
The rescue teams expressed discontent with the response from the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services, which they claim visited the home and concluded that 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,” SCGPR remarked.
It was conveyed that Animal Services might return to the property the following week to remove the remaining animals, but representatives have also indicated a lack of resources to accommodate such a large number of guinea pigs.
While attempts to contact LAAS officials for comments were unsuccessful, the groups are urging the public to consider fostering or adopting the rescued animals and are accepting donations to support the medical care and supplies needed for the 33 guinea pigs they have already taken in.
Moreover, rescues in other areas are being invited to assist with the intake and placement of additional guinea pigs as this critical situation continues to unfold.
image source from：timesofsandiego
