One of our childhood favourite pets, the guinea pig , has found a home – SA Guinea Pig Rescue and Rehome , associated with the South African Guinea Pig Society (SAGPS), is a small rescue shelter run by Roberta Simson.
She came from Canada three years ago and was disappointed that she was unable to have pets where she lived. As a result, she got two guinea sows (females) from a pet store. As it turned out, both of them were pregnant. Simson fostered the pups (babies) of the two sows.
This was the start of her initiative to create awareness for the irresponsible breeding or care of guinea pigs. In South Africa at the moment, we have common breeds such as the ‘smooth haired’ and ‘Abyssinian’. Peruvian guinea pigs are what most breeders specialise in. Simson does not only rescue unwanted fluffy friends but breeds them too, however, only on reservation to ensure they have forever homes.
Simson personally funds the entire programme and would greatly apprciate any form of support. The crisis in society is that many children gets guinea pigs as pets but are no longer capable, or desire, to have them. In these cases, they are abandoned on sides of roads, containers, or left to roam parks. Simon wishes to express the need to separate sow and boar (male) pigs from each other as they are able to breed from as early as four weeks for sows and three weeks for boars.
Litters of the animals can range from two to eight pups – larger litters sometimes result in not all pups surviving due to their tiny size. Simson treats all her guinea pigs, whether rescue or personal, to equal bed and lodging including, “time on the sofa.”
Details: www.saguineapigrescue.weebly.com; @ facebook.com/SAGPRR
-
-
-
-
