Frustrated By Adoption Process

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pinnie-gig

pinnie-gig

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I wonder if anyone else has had a similar experience to me? I want to adopt some piggies (I'll be a first time owner, but I'm in my late 20s so it's a considered decision :) ) and rather than get a couple from a pet shop, I would like to give some abandoned piggies a loving home.

I have found a couple I really like the look of at a local rehoming centre, and I called today to enquire about them. The lady I spoke to wasn't rude, but she was fairly dismissive when I explained I intended to keep the piggies indoors, and said "you do know they eat grass, don't you? They are outdoor animals" ! Now, I know they eat grass if they are put in outdoor runs, of course, but I also know that indoor piggies are very happy being inside and eating plenty of hay along with their other food! So I politely said that I would ensure they had plenty of hay they could graze on. The lady at the centre then asked if I had 'accommodation'. I said I didn't, but I have found the enclosure I want (a C&C cage) and would be happy to buy it… she said I needed it all set up and in place, then a home check would be performed, and only then would I be allowed to meet the piggies. I said OK to all of this…and then she ended the conversation by saying "we won't reserve them for you, you know."

I am not criticising the work of the centre, they are amazing and of course, I completely understand why they need to check homes… I was just disheartened by her reaction. And frustrated that she didn't seem to think keeping guinea pigs indoors was a good idea - I am worried I won't pass a home check now (although otherwise, there is no reason I wouldn't). Has anyone else had a similar experience (and had a happy ending where they ended up with the piggies!)?

Thanks!

PS I have ordered my C&C cage now :)
 
Hmm that's a bit strange! I would have thought she would have been pleased that someone had taken interest in the piggies. It's good that you have got your cage ordered and I'm sure you will pass a home check. I hope the piggies are still there for when you are ready but if not I'm sure you will find another pair of piggies looking for a forever home :)
 
Hello. Welcome to the forum. I am very sorry you have not had a positive experience. It is wonderful you are going to adopt and give piggies in need a loving home. I suspect that the rescue you were thinking of is not on our list of recommended rescues. This link will show you your nearest rescue,
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/pages/guinea-pig-rescue-locator/

My guinea pigs live indoors in a c and c cage. It is very old fashioned to think guinea pigs cannot live indoors. Please do not let your negative experience put you off as you sound like you will be a wonderful piggy owner.
 
Thanks aimzer, I hope they will still be available once I have all the admin sorted because they are incredibly cute! Yours are gorgeous! :)
 
piggyfan said:
Hello. Welcome to the forum. I am very sorry you have not had a positive experience. It is wonderful you are going to adopt and give piggies in need a loving home. I suspect that the rescue you were thinking of is not on our list of recommended rescues. This link will show you your nearest rescue,
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/pages/guinea-pig-rescue-locator/

My guinea pigs live indoors in a c and c cage. It is very old fashioned to think guinea pigs cannot live indoors. Please do not let your negative experience put you off as you sound like you will be a wonderful piggy owner.
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Thank you, that's very kind of you. I'll post my progress! I don't want to mention names, but the rehoming centre is one belonging to a very famous animal charity. I think this particular centre specialises in dogs and cats, so perhaps the lady I spoke to wasn't too up to speed on modern piggie etiquette ;) But she wasn't unkind- just a little off-putting. Maybe it was a test! I look forward to telling her the cage has arrived and I'm ready for the home check. Thanks again.
 
RSPCA? They require you to have the housing set up for a pre-adoption home check from too many bad experiences when people didn't do what they said they were doing... They also deal very often with people who have not even the first idea about the pet they want to rehome. That piggies cannot be reserved is new to me, though, but it wouldn't surprise me considering how often people won;t turn up to pick up reserved piggies or change their mind at the last moment because they have seen prettier ones at the local pet shop! :(

PS: We have got at piggy savvy rescue locator on the top bar with rescues that we can recommend and guarantee for if you would like to use a different place. You are bound to pass a home check with flying colours with a C&C cage and access to a lawn.
 
Hey there, welcome to the forum.

Sorry to hear you have had a bit of a frustrating time. Bit disappointing on the Rescue front that they hadn't heard of indoor piggies, grass and hay are two very different types of things in terms of a diet. Hay is vital, grass however is not...

Not wanting to put you off that rescue, if you are from the UK we have a recommended Rescue locator here http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/pages/guinea-pig-rescue-locator/ http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/pages/guinea-pig-rescue-locator/

The fact you are on a forum before having piggies and have bought a cage shows you gonna make a great piggy slave. This thread might give you some more pointers on things to get.

Home checks are standard, I remember our first one, we were so nervous... They just want to see were the pigs are living, ask you questions on diet, closest vet and holiday arrangements that sort of thing
 
Before I got piggies I applied to RSPCA but they turned me down as I don't have a garden. I found Bobtails rescue and they happily adopted out to me with me sending pictures of my set up. You may find another rescue who does not mind no garden access.
 
Welcome to the forum.

Are you happy to give us some idea of your location ? You don't have to be exact - just a rough idea of what country you live in. It helps with our advice.

I am really pleased that you are considering rescuing some guinea pigs and I don't want your current experience to put you off.

I hope everything goes well with your home check.
 
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pinnie-gig said:
Thank you, that's very kind of you. I'll post my progress! I don't want to mention names, but the rehoming centre is one belonging to a very famous animal charity. I think this particular centre specialises in dogs and cats, so perhaps the lady I spoke to wasn't too up to speed on modern piggie etiquette ;) But she wasn't unkind- just a little off-putting. Maybe it was a test! I look forward to telling her the cage has arrived and I'm ready for the home check. Thanks again.
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Depending on the Charity some branches know more about piggies than others. Walsall RSPCA are our local branch and are a Small Animal Branch, they are seriously clued up on Piggies and Bunnies and are fantastic but each branch are different...
 
I hope you get the Guineapigs you wanted! I'm sure they won't turn you down with the set up you've described x
 
Hi and welcome to this fab friendly forum :)
This is great that you have joined us, you will pick up fantastic tips and support on here. I didn't go to a proper rescue when I brought my 3 boars I was lead to believe the lady took on RSPCA piggies, I then found out my boys were very ill (they came to me illl) that cost me a lot of money in vet bills so it's great your going to get your piggies from a proper rescue place. Could you not ring up again to ask if they can hold them for you hopefully you will get a diffrent lady this time.
I've just adopted a lovely boar from a proper rescue the whole process was great for us I do hope you get a better outcome then you did to start with. :) keep us posted in how your getting on.
Kell
 
another one here who got shunned by the RSPCA! My dislike of them aside (they're getting far too political for a charity IMHO but that's beside the point), I was rejected for a ridiculous reason, despite me saying how many happy, healthy and long lived piggies I'd previously owned. Like other have said, ring round other rescues and i'm sure they'll happily allow you to adopt :)
 
Welcome to this forum. I have found it so helpful and supportive. I did try and adopt from a well known national charity and was not impressed by the attitude of the home checker. I did pass the home check but they had no suitable pigs for me at the time. However I did seek an apology from the charity about the home checker's approach and did receive one. I do believe that some people are more suited to dealing with animals than people and the home checker I got was someone who was not a people orientated person. I have since got 3 piggies from a rescue whose approach was so much friendlier and still remained professional.
 
hi, and welcome!

i also adopted from a well-known charity, and it did struck me how rule-bound the process was, which i do appreciate in terms of animal welfare, and making sure that the piggies indeed find their 'forever home' and won't be returned. i was a bit anxious given that i did not have a run set-up yet (waiting for a friend to finishing building it), but i did already have a hutch that more than qualified in terms of requirements, and it did seem like the unfinished run could have been a bottle neck, in terms of releasing them to me, even though it would only have been a matter of days for the run to be finished.

having said that, i was pleasantly surprised that they released them to me, even though they needed two more rounds of drops against mites (they came from a hoarder, and the rescue was being thorough -last minute- in terms of making sure they were gone -they had already been treated once). they released them l on the condition that i would come by in the following two weeks and do the drops, which i did. it was 'unusual', i.e. not protocol.

i guess what i am trying to say, do not be disheartened, stand your ground, because you DO know what you are doing, and ask questions, because most people do want to help. all the best, and i am sure you will soon have your piggies to enjoy!
 
Having adopted from the other end of the spectrum.....an rescue which did not even take my details, or show me around and then having to have one of the three boars ( yep, they said they were bonded, as a three, I did not have time to find out) PTS as it had pneumonia from being in over crowded conditions at the rescue. I only found this out when I phoned another local rescue over the fact I had been give 3 boars. They said the I had adopted from, bred, it was over crowded and they had to feed rabbit food, as they could not afford guinea pig food.

I am not sure how much of this fact, they did say at least I had saved the poor piggy from dying at the back of a filthy hutch.
 
Hi everyone, I just thought I would check in and let you know what happened with the adoption of the two baby boars I wanted to rehome... Slight rant warning, but also a happy ending :luv:

So, I had a sort of phone interview with the charity (RSPCA) and we discussed my cage (C&C) and the space I had, etc. To cut a long story short, the outcome was that I was told a 4x2 cage was fine for two piggies, but they also needed a permanent extra run of 4x3. I explained that they would have that when I was in the house, as I would let them run around my lounge when I was there to supervise (the lady I spoke to seemed horrified I work *full time*! They're not puppies! But that's another rant, oops, I mean story!). They said that that wasn't sufficient and that piggies need that space all day, every day.

I didn't want to sound like an irresponsible or cruel person, but I did challenge them on that. I said "I know that with me, they will get a happy, very stimulating life. How many people are there who have approx 25 sq ft in their house to dedicate full time to guinea pigs? It's my husband's house too!" The manager replied that they were trying to reeducate people about guinea pigs and their needs... She also said "perhaps one day you'll win the lottery and be able to have a big house where you could keep them"! I think she meant it kindly but it came across incredibly patronising! So basically her final answer was 'no'. I was really disappointed but if that's their policy, no amount of arguing was going to help.

So... Because the RSPCA insisted I had the full set up before they'd home check me (and I didn't even get that far) I had a cage, bedding, water bottles, 10kg food (oops!), play tunnels, etc etc. Now - I am dedicated to the idea of getting them...but surely by making people buy all the equipment before they're approved it just pushes people into going and *buying* guinea pigs from a breeder or pet shop if they aren't approved (nothing wrong with that- but you'd have thought they wanted to encourage rehoming!). And of course, there will be some people who get turned down because they're genuinely not suitable owners- and then they'll just go out and buy some. (Sorry, I'm off again.)

Anyway, I have bought a couple of lovely wee piggies. We are only hours into our cohabitation, and they're hiding from me very effectively! But I will give them time... I would definitely try rehoming again one day, hopefully when I'm an established owner and can show how happy my piggies are. But for now, the ones that were available to me were covered in a layer of bureaucracy... And actually, happily, there aren't many piggies in my area that need rehoming at the moment. The little boars are absolutely gorgeous and they're babies, I'm sure they will be snapped up- and hey, maybe by a lottery winner!

Wish me luck with my sows! One is a baby but the other is larger and from her reaction to me picking her up to put her in her cage, she's not been handled and needs some human contact...so I've probably got my work cut out! They don't have names yet...I'm waiting to see their faces first! Haha ;) Thanks everyone, for your support and advice.
 
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I'm disgusted with the way you have been treated. It makes me mad when there's lots of piggies around the country needing forever homes & you've done your homework regarding what's needed. Rescues are desperately in need of responsible people like you & you and their piggies have been really badly let down x
 
Congratulations on your piggies, it does all depend on the Rescue in question unfortunately. But the main thing is you have given some piggies a great home. Looking forward to hearing lots about them as they settle in :)

Here are a few links you may find helpful over the coming weeks :)
Settling Piggies http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/faq-how-do-i-settle-shy-new-guinea-pigs.36239/
Food List http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/...veg-and-fruit-list-with-vitamin-c-grading.42/
General Food Overview - http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...or-a-balanced-general-guinea-pig-diet.116460/

Congrats again:)
 
I'm really sorry about the way you have been treated. All rescues are different and some do not have such strict policies. Congratulations on your girls. I hope you stick around and become a regular poster. It will be lovely to see your girls.
 
I am really sorry that the RSPCA branch you were dealing with was so unflexable! We have got a recommended rescues locator on the top bar nay of which would have rehomed to you; do you know that?

I hope that you will enjoy your little girls.
 
Stewybus said:
I'm disgusted with the way you have been treated. It makes me mad when there's lots of piggies around the country needing forever homes & you've done your homework regarding what's needed. Rescues are desperately in need of responsible people like you & you and their piggies have been really badly let down x
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:agr:

You were willing to rehome and give them a decent standard of living. Where's the logic being refused to rescue when you can just go to the shop and buy?
Enjoy your sows -
Guinea Pigs are so rewarding.
 
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Wow, you have had such a bad experience. I'm so sorry. I have had the other experience of a rescue that just handed over piggies without even taking my name! Congratulations on your new girls, and I hope you will show us lots of pigtures!
 
Congratulations on getting your two guinea pigs. Now the fun will begin. I got my first two from Pets at Home because of RSPCA not having any suitable. I didn't know about this website at the time. But I later discovered this forum when one of my guinea pigs was ill. I learnt so much from this forum that has come in so useful in dealing with the care and housing of my guinea pigs. I am also now the proud owner of 3 guinea pigs from BARCS animal rescue (who I found via this Forum) who were wonderful when I adopted from them.
 
I'm sorry for your problems with the original rescue centre, can I just point out that all the RSPCA branches are run independantly of HQ and of each other, I work with a fab branch up in Birmingham to name just one. There are some branches I wouldn't work with.
For your homecheck I would also want to see set up but I wouldn't stop you coming and meeting the piggies especially as your first time owner. As all guinea pigs are so different you could be introduced to the ones that are skitty, the confident ones and the divas.
I also rehome to indoor homes. You can replace grass with readi grass if needed but as long as fresh veggies are available thats good enough for the piggies here.
I really hope you enjoy your piggies and throw away the TV as you will now have evening entertainment from them!
 
sport_billy said:
Congratulations on your piggies, it does all depend on the Rescue in question unfortunately. But the main thing is you have given some piggies a great home. Looking forward to hearing lots about them as they settle in :)

Here are a few links you may find helpful over the coming weeks :)
Settling Piggies http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/faq-how-do-i-settle-shy-new-guinea-pigs.36239/
Food List http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/...veg-and-fruit-list-with-vitamin-c-grading.42/
General Food Overview - http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...or-a-balanced-general-guinea-pig-diet.116460/

Congrats again:)
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Thank you so much- I'd already found the 'settling in' thread but I'll check out the others too.
 
CrawleyGuineaPigRescue said:
I'm sorry for your problems with the original rescue centre, can I just point out that all the RSPCA branches are run independantly of HQ and of each other, I work with a fab branch up in Birmingham to name just one. There are some branches I wouldn't work with.
For your homecheck I would also want to see set up but I wouldn't stop you coming and meeting the piggies especially as your first time owner. As all guinea pigs are so different you could be introduced to the ones that are skitty, the confident ones and the divas.
I also rehome to indoor homes. You can replace grass with readi grass if needed but as long as fresh veggies are available thats good enough for the piggies here.
I really hope you enjoy your piggies and throw away the TV as you will now have evening entertainment from them!
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Thank you, and congratulations on your work for the RSPCA, which is fab. I have every respect for the RSPCA and the wonderful work they do. I just wanted to explain what had occurred on this occasion- and I guess get some feedback and support that I wasn't a deluded owner-wannabe! ;-) Really, the ladies at this particular centre were just being ultra cautious because they care so much about the animals, and you have to admire that (one of them said "they are just very precious")- difficult to be mad with that! I just found it frustrating because I know they would have a happy life with me - but I would rather a rescue centre was too cautious than not careful enough. Anyway, all's well that ends well... Provided my new pets decide I'm not a monster, which may be several months off! Hehe.
 
I'm sorry you had such a bad experience, but know you will love your new girls. When I first wanted to adopt guinea pigs a few years ago (to live indoors) I was turned down by Wood Green because I wasn't planning on having an outside hutch despite me telling them we get foxes here, so I never would have risked that.
 
Enjoy your new residents! I too am sorry that you had such a bad experience with your rspca centre. I volunteer at my local centre and have seen from the other side of the fence the problems ensuring rehomed animals have what they need and prospective owners know what is involved ( I always point guinea pig adopters to this forum!:D) so that the animals do not end up 'bouncing back' a couple of weeks later! which is fraught and stressful for both animal and staff and owners. Also the number of reservations that fall through. Some staff are VERY dedicated to the animals but don't always handle people tactfully! Each area/centre is different and as mentioned elsewhere Walsall are very piggy orientated. Sorry you had a bad time, but so pleased you have managed to get some lovely girls. Have fun:)
 
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