I find it hard and sad for rescues

[Salt n Peppers mum]

Ive looked online at rescues, but honestly I find their strict requirements and home visits extremely intimidating. Just reading the adoption requirements is enough alone to conjure up a huge fail in my mind. Id love to adopt from a rescue, but I'm quite shy and a home visit from a stranger to inspect standards, is just my worst nightmare. But I do totally understand why they have these requirements, I'm just sharing why I havent adopted from an official rescue.
Most of my animals are unwanted pets and have come in tiny cages and hutches where they have been mostly ignored. My conscience is clear that I provide the best that is possible for all of them, but I also fear my best isnt good enough. Despite giving them all larger cages and hutches with runs (I have a shed full of tiny indoor rabbit and guinea pigs cages and 2 hutches)
2 days ago a lone guinea pig came to me in a tiny hutch that the bottom was just about hanging on and the wire mesh at the front is all bent inwards from where the pet dog hurled itself at to get to the guinea pig. Poor thing is still frightened to death. Ive put her in a nice clean albeit indoor cage with hay (she came with no hay, I dont think she was given any at all, and no food bowl. How she was fed I have no idea!) and some hidey holes. The indoor cage is not the best for her, but plans are in motion to get her a bigger home and a friend. Given her conditions before I consider her a "rescue" even though she didnt come officially from one.

Thanks Heidi - Again you have reaffirmed what other members have said - that you find the re-homing policy on websites too strict and a home visit intimidating.

Food for thought indeed.

I am going to paste on my next post a info sheet I arrange for potential Guinea Pig adoptors for our open day - please tell me what you think p

 

[Salt n Peppers mum]

Sorry it's not in the same format as the document so comes across as 'a bit of a read'
My original leaflet did have lots of nice Guinea Pig Pictures etc, but the wording is here.

Please tell me what you think of our re-homing/info sheet.
Many Thanks

Paula


Guinea PigsGive your Guinea Pigs as big housing as possible for them to live in. Two guinea pigs at the very minimum will require a hutch/cage sized 48″ x 24″ (120cm x 60 cm). Guinea pigs can live outside during the spring and summer months, hutches should be placed off the ground and in a sheltered position out of direct sunlight.
All homes will need to be able to offer the guinea pigs indoor accommodation during the winter months, either inside the home, or in a heated shed/conservatory etc. with natural light.
An indoor home for a guinea pig will make them feel involved in the family, help tame their natural shyness and also help to protect them from illness and predators. In return, you will be blessed with a more active and energetic pet which will provide endless hours of fun.
Guinea Pigs are very active and curious little creatures. Therefore it is important that they have access to a play pen on a daily basis. Guinea pigs should have daily access to an outdoor run or daytime playpen (indoor homes and winter).
Bedding – People use all types of products as bedding for their guinea pigs – towels & fleece, KILN-DRIED pine shavings (not sawdust), paper products, Newspaper & Hay, vetbed, megazorb, carefresh and more. What bedding works for you may not only depend on the bedding itself, but your cage arrangement, cost, and your time.
Guinea pigs are not made to live alone. Guinea Pigs are incredibly sociable animals they would never choose to live on their own. It is very unnatural for them to live alone without the company of other guinea pigs. We will only home guinea pigs in pairs or to a home where they will live with another guinea pig – never ever with another species – even rabbits. Guinea pigs should only live with other guinea pigs.
Guinea pigs must live in same sex pairs or groups (unless neutered).
If you have a lone Guinea Pig that is looking for a friend we are happy to offer a ‘dating service’ with our available rescue Guinea Pigs.
Sows can live in pairs or as a larger herd. Boars are homed as pairs.
Sometimes we have neutered Boars that make perfect pairings with Sows this combination works extremely well and often is the most harmonious and stable of combinations of Guinea Pigs living together.


HAY! SO important for guinea pigs. It should be unlimited and always on offer. At least 75% of the daily food intake should be hay - Feed hay constantly for your Guinea Pig’s digestion and teeth to stay healthy. Guinea pigs are grazers and therefore their favourite food is grass.
Guinea pigs should be given a range of fresh fruit/vegetables twice daily. Vitamin C is especially important in a guinea pigs diet. Unlike many animals, guinea pigs can't produce their own vitamin C. A deficiency of vitamin C, could lead to scurvy and also loss of resistance to other diseases.
Some suggested veggies are:
Red or Green Bell Peppers: Bell peppers are not to be confused with red hot chilli peppers which are a totally different food and should never be given to guinea pigs.
Broccoli: Floret, including the stalk, feed occasionally.
Carrot: One baby carrot or a small slice of a large carrot, every other day. Romaine Lettuce /Gems/Chard/Lambs etc.: Never give guinea pigs iceberg lettuce, it’s not nutritious and it can give them an upset tummy and diarrhoea.
Celery: Very stringy so needs to be chopped up into small pieces to avoid piggy choking.
Dandelion Leaves
Fresh Grass: Never use grass that's been cut by a lawn mower. When spring has arrived and your grass has started to grow, just give your piggies a small amount of grass to begin with.
Baby Tomato's: Occasionally as can cause sore mouths.
Cucumber: Very little nutritional value, but has high water content and is loved by most guinea pigs; include the outer layer which is their favourite part. Cucumber is really appreciated by guinea pigs in hot weather; it acts as a liquid and is nice and cool.
Parsley: Very high in calcium so should be limited if your guinea pig is prone to developing bladder stones.
Apple: One small slice, include peel, give weekly, remove core and pips. Many fruits are full of natural sugar and have fruit acid. To avoid your guinea pig getting a sore mouth, cut all fruit into small pieces and just give as an occasional treat because of the high sugar content.
Seedless Grapes: One or two, must be seedless, give weekly.
Corn on the Cob/baby cobs: High in calories. For a more comprehensive range and information about Diet visit http://www.guinealynx.info/diet.html A Guinea Pig Pellet/Nugget food is recommended rather than a muesli mix that often encourages selective feeding.
Finally and most importantly in order to look after any pet but we relate this to guinea pigs under the Animal welfare act 2007 you need to be able to fulfill the 5 freedoms which are:
1. Freedom from hunger and thirst- by providing fresh water and the right amount of food to keep them fit
2. Freedom from discomfort by making sure that guinea pigs have the right kind of environment including shelter, bedding and somewhere comfortable to rest
3. Freedom from pain, injury and disease-by preventing them from getting ill and by making sure animals are diagnosed and treated rapidly
4. Freedom to behave normally- by making sure that guinea pigs have enough space and proper facilities
5. Freedom from fear and distress- by making sure their conditions and treatment avoid mental suffering

 

[span]

I found this thread very interesting to read through.

My sister and I were talking about this over the summer, when I was first looking into getting guinea pigs.
A friend of hers had been turned down by a rescue because she was planning on the animals predominantly living outside, putting them in the summer house at night and winter, and the rescue said that not having a specified indoor area wasn't acceptable. So, the woman bought her pets from a pet shop instead.

I think that if you have made up your mind about getting animals, then you are going to get them. If a rescue says no and you think that you have got a perfectly good set up, you are just going to go somewhere else - especially if you've already invested in the housing etc.
Instead of saying 'no' I think rescues should always say yes, providing certain conditions are met on the next visit if the first doesn't go well. I think just the fact that someone has got in touch with a rescue when it is so easy just to buy a pet shows they have the makings of a good owner, even if they're not there yet...

 

[Wiebke]

You have some good information; it may help if you bundled it more into categories so it is easier to take in (housing, companionship, food etc.)

It is a delicate balance you have to strike as a rescue, especially when you short on time already. it takes time to get to know people and find those you are willing to work out an individual solution with a rescue as opposed to those who just want to get a piggy on the cheap and on the quick.

 

[lolseh]

When I rescue I prefer to rescue pigs myself than get from a rescue because the pigs in rescue are already somewhere safe but I have the time and money to look after ones in bad condition so I feel I can help that way more. Examples are a pig with the worst bumble foot ever, blind, bald, severly impacted and just horrible in all other conditions. After weeks of trying to save the foot it had to get amputated. A 4 year old who was being rehomed because her owers got a new kitchen and had no room for her(?), a mum, neutered dad and neutered son who were crawling in yuck and just ill all over. Then there is the 'agressive' pigs who are far from it.. So I do try and do my bit for rescue when I can and there is always a spare cage here for pigs in need!

 

[Beautifulmess]

I try my hardest, I have 2 pets at home pigs from July 2010 and Zambi (from you, salt and peppers mum) and Zuki from Stoke's rescure. Mali came with Zambi, Corly was adopted from Clairelove and my first two pigs were pets at home pigs (because I didn't know about rescure pigs when I was 18).

I actually tried to adopt a boar on here I wanted him really bad because he was neutered and I wanted to adopt a female for him but the rescure messed me around big time...! One time though...

I think people adopt from people and pets stores because it's easier I guess, I had a stressful time adopting Zuki and Zambi and Mali.. Corly was okay but mainly because he was a baby so was bondable to anything lol.

I will adopt from rescures from now on though, even if it isn't on this website. <3

 

[Heidi]

It just a thought, but about raising awareness for rescues. I once had a friend who fostered cats while waiting to be adopted. She was always taking them along to rehoming days at a local church. Where the cat rescue would take along cats who are waiting to be adopted and would run stalls, cake sales, raffles ete, to raise money at the same time. Now obviously that might be a bit much for Guinea Pigs but maybe rescues could have a stall at local events say a raffle or something but you could also take a long pics of guinea pigs and a hutch/cage of a reasonable size. So people who are interested in getting guinea pigs could have a visual of proper cages instead of small pet shop brought ones. Plus you would be on hand to answer any questions, enquires etc.... at the very least you would raise awareness of your local rescue and what the animal needs, might even raise a little money and you might even find that special someone for that special pig.
Personally I love the idea of open days/stalls because even if I dont adopt there, I can support the rescue a tiny bit. Ive never seen rescue open day, but if a local one did Id certainly go along x

 

[Salt n Peppers mum]

You have some good information; it may help if you bundled it more into categories so it is easier to take in (housing, companionship, food etc.)
It is a delicate balance you have to strike as a rescue, especially when you short on time already. it takes time to get to know people and find those you are willing to work out an individual solution with a rescue as opposed to those who just want to get a piggy on the cheap and on the quick.

The info sheet was put together in 'Words Document' so when I pasted it on here it has just gathered all the the words together so it doesnt look very appealing to the eye - it looks much more structured and laid out into categories, headers and picture

p

 

[Wiebke]

When I rescue I prefer to rescue pigs myself than get from a rescue because the pigs in rescue are already somewhere safe but I have the time and money to look after ones in bad condition so I feel I can help that way more. Examples are a pig with the worst bumble foot ever, blind, bald, severly impacted and just horrible in all other conditions. After weeks of trying to save the foot it had to get amputated. A 4 year old who was being rehomed because her owers got a new kitchen and had no room for her(?), a mum, neutered dad and neutered son who were crawling in yuck and just ill all over. Then there is the 'agressive' pigs who are far from it.. So I do try and do my bit for rescue when I can and there is always a spare cage here for pigs in need!

There are quite a few open days and some rescues are also present at local events. The next occasion is in Doncaster this weekend.
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=75002
Many rescues have at least one open day - RSPCA Walsall, do, Rugby, Crawley is very active in being present whenever possible.

Like so much, it is however a matter of time - many rescues are already short on that, or they would often be much quicker to come back to people.

It just a thought, but about raising awareness for rescues. I once had a friend who fostered cats while waiting to be adopted. She was always taking them along to rehoming days at a local church. Where the cat rescue would take along cats who are waiting to be adopted and would run stalls, cake sales, raffles ete, to raise money at the same time. Now obviously that might be a bit much for Guinea Pigs but maybe rescues could have a stall at local events say a raffle or something but you could also take a long pics of guinea pigs and a hutch/cage of a reasonable size. So people who are interested in getting guinea pigs could have a visual of proper cages instead of small pet shop brought ones. Plus you would be on hand to answer any questions, enquires etc.... at the very least you would raise awareness of your local rescue and what the animal needs, might even raise a little money and you might even find that special someone for that special pig.
Personally I love the idea of open days/stalls because even if I dont adopt there, I can support the rescue a tiny bit. Ive never seen rescue open day, but if a local one did Id certainly go along x

The problem with rescuing yourself is that piggies get stuck in rescues for months on end, so that the rescues themselves can't take on and rehabilitate new piggies in need of care. It is not helpful thinking of piggies in a rescue as "safe" and "taken care of" because it is preventing more piggies being saved by competent people with the right kind of back up - this kind of thinking creates exactly the bed blocking problem that has sparked this thread initially... :{

 

[Sodapops]

!

I absolutely agree that when visiting a rescue website and seeing an 'essay' type page of policies can be slightly off-putting to the new or in-experienced - it's kinda like too much info too soon :{

However from my point of view i think think it's vitally important for rescues to display every piece of info so that potential new owners know exactly what is required before they choose to make an enquiry.

Having a pet is like having a child - an absolute privilege that shouldn't be taken lightly. If a child was born in to a family that lived in squalor the social services would protect that child by making the parents realize their faults and to put them right and prove themselves before the child was aloud to come home - why should having a pet be any different? Why are people put off by having a home check carried out? I 100% agree that home checks need to be carried out - the only thing i'd possibly change/add is what actually happens during a home check. People have the misconception that the person doing the home check is there to persecute or judge - when this simply isn't the case.

Much the same as me thinking children and pets are a priviledge i also think having a rescue pet is. When we as a family decided rescue was where we wanted to get our next piggie from we thought long and hard and were willing to wait as long as it took - unfortunately not everyone has that same enthusiasm - expecting to rehome a rescue pet within a week just isn't going to happen - and if the new owners are not willing to put in the time and wait, what's to say they are willing to put the effort in to the actual animal when they have them. I think the 'cooling off/waiting' period is just as important as the rehoming itself. The rules are there to protect the animal - not to persecute the new owners - i think that's where people get confused, they see a set of adoption policies and give up as it's all too much hard work to conform to them!

The only reason i myself don't have multiple rescue pigs is the distance issue. I don't drive and so my nearest 'reputable' rescue is Walsall RSPCA, i have to be honest due to public transport meeting/collecting Wexford was a 4hr+ round trip! Even contemplating anything further afield would be near impossible. I know piggy trains exist, but when you see people doing 12hr round trips, asking for that sort of help doesn't feel right. Maybe that's another thing that could be publicised more on rescue websites that these piggie trains do exist - most people don't know they exist and this is a real problem for those saying they cannot rescue because they don't have a rescue near them!

Buying from a pet shop/breeder is easy - there are no guidelines to follow and you can literally walk out with multiple pets within minutes - no questions asked.

I definitely think more education is needed - and i don't mean buying from a pet shop/breeder is bad, i just think if people gave a little more thought and put in a little more time, more rescue pigs would find homes. Yes i agree some rescues are strict, but these are not the only ones available - just like the rescues can pick and choose, so can the new owners. If you don't like a rescue's policies, then go elsewhere, a decent rescue will look at all individual circumstances - they don't tar everyone with the same brush! Their aim is to find a loving home for the animal in their care - i personally think they should be cut some slack - they see the bad side of rescue - while we see the good side and let them in to our lives!

 

[Poppy'sMum]

Well I wouldn't have passed the test then lol ! rolleyes

Our first pair were kept outside in a hutch, all year around given access to the grass 2-3 times a week, but all other food etc given (fail!)
They did eventually come inside as we actually preferred them inside

The second pair were kept inside, & went outside in the summer months.

Both pairs were given mixed food, the first were given a well known brand that after they got ill & died was found to contain colourants They developed bladder stones.

The second pair always had cheap Wagg mix, because the CCT recommend it, although it is a mix it is free from nasty stuff. As my oldie died recently aged 7 I have no intention of changing this food to stuff that costs £12 a bag but is full of sugar beet pulp & alfalfa which is not good for adult pigs.
I did used to chuck some of it away, but hey if someone stuck brown sauce in my bacon sandwich I wouldn't eat it neither My view is so what if they selective feed, if they only want certain bits so be it. Better than having the same stuff day in day out
So that would fail me as well rolleyes

With regards to payments, yes of course rescues need to charge for rehoming, they need to recoup the costs of feed, vets bills etc, I have no problem with that & will continue to donate to the reputable ones.

 

[x-vic-x]

Well I wouldn't have passed the test then lol ! rolleyes

Our first pair were kept outside in a hutch, all year around given access to the grass 2-3 times a week, but all other food etc given (fail!)
They did eventually come inside as we actually preferred them inside

The second pair were kept inside, & went outside in the summer months.

Both pairs were given mixed food, the first were given a well known brand that after they got ill & died was found to contain colourants They developed bladder stones.

The second pair always had cheap Wagg mix, because the CCT recommend it, although it is a mix it is free from nasty stuff. As my oldie died recently aged 7 I have no intention of changing this food to stuff that costs £12 a bag but is full of sugar beet pulp & alfalfa which is not good for adult pigs.
I did used to chuck some of it away, but hey if someone stuck brown sauce in my bacon sandwich I wouldn't eat it neither My view is so what if they selective feed, if they only want certain bits so be it. Better than having the same stuff day in day out
So that would fail me as well rolleyes

With regards to payments, yes of course rescues need to charge for rehoming, they need to recoup the costs of feed, vets bills etc, I have no problem with that & will continue to donate to the reputable ones.

See from what you have said there I wouldn't fail you, obviously I would need to ask more questions, see your accomadation before it was a pass, but you have said nothing that would be a fail.

 

[Gems]

Really interesting thread and great to get several viewpoints.

I've never really thought of a rescues rehoming policy to be too in depth or intrusive, because I know I'd be the same ( and was when I re-homed Max and Woody ) in that I wanted to make sure that the piggies I was rehoming were going to live in a home with the same, or better, conditions then I was currently providing. I think perhaps it can come across as a bit stern at times, so maybe as someone else said if someone doesn't meet the requirements tell them that, explain why the guinea pig needs those requirements and give them a chance to improve what they have. If they aren't willing to then perhaps they aren't taking the welfare of the animal as seriously as they should?

I'm currently fostering 2 piggies for a rescue and when they first came I had them in a 120cm x 60cm cage. After a couple of days I built them a bigger cage as I personally felt that cage was too small for 2 boars but most rescues will say that cage meets their requirements for 2 piggies. I guess your own experiences play an impact of what you deem is good enough, and that might differ greatly from what another person does. Someone who's kept guinea pigs for 20 years, but has kept them in small hutches will no doubt be adamant that what they have done is correct as they may very well have lived a long life with no illness. I think what I'm trying to say is it's all about educating people.

Will come back to this once I've put my thoughts into some kind of logic rather then just rambling on!

 

[Poppy'sMum]

I have no problems with homechecks, of course they are essential as the piggie's welfare should be paramount in all things if anyone wants to check my set up I am more than happy.

As I said, years ago Wood Green animal shelter refused me straight away as I didn't have a 6 foot (or something ridiculous) indoor cage & hutch. There were no such things as C & C back then, or at least I wasn't aware of it, so obviously it was much easier to walk into a pet shop.

The Rescue I went to had a huge amount of piggies foraging around her garden, which was cute to see, but no way would I do that in my garden, even if I was at home all day (house backs onto farmland so foxes, red kites & hawks abound) so we failed again

 

[Heidi]

I do fully understand why rescues have lengthy strict adoption policies and home visits. Its just something I find, personally, unsettling. I'm of no doubt people who conduct home visits are lovely people and are there to access the standard in which the animals will be kept. But if I were to adopt from a rescue, Id worry myself silly for days until the visit, and convince myself of a huge fail.I cant help it I'm just a natural worrier. Its not just about home visits, I worry about everything, the kids parent evenings in case I'm not doing something I should be, etc... I'm quite shy and it just worries me when I know I have to talk to a person I dont know. Let alone have a stranger come to my house and access the standards of animal care. When my children were babies and the midwifes came round it sent me into a panic!. Thats the reason I havent gone to a rescue, the stress and worry are avoidable. Its not the waiting time or the money its the strict policies that give an impression of absolutley nothing less will do. Although I think this has much to do with the typed word, so to speak, as its really upto the reader to imagine a tone of voice. If anyone gets my meaning, I'm probably not explaning myself very well......

 

[NatalieMT]

I think it's great to rescue, but we live in a world where people don't 'want' for long and you can get anything, including a pet almost instantly. If I wanted another guinea pig I could be at Pets @ Home in 10 minutes - I'm not suggesting I would do that but I'm guessing the vast majority of pet owners might decide a pet shop was their first port of call.

Since I became more active on this forum my eyes have been opened more to how rescuing works. I think the rehoming section of this forum is great, when I saw Ed's photo there it was instant love and it was definitely worth the wait to get him. I actually don't think the adoption process was as long winded as a lot of the rescue website/policies make it sound. I was asked to fill in a form with a series of questions, nothing out of the ordinary or deeply personal and after that I think our homecheck was done within a week. I'm sure the lady that came round thought I was nuts - she got the grand tour of the pig palaces. Ha ha! But she was very pleasant though and didn't seem judgemental, she looked at my accomodation, I got some of my other pigs out to meet her and she saw all Ed's potential wives (I had a few lined up incase pairings didn't work out). I guess it was evident they were all well cared for and any other additions would be too. For first time owners perhaps they feel someone will come and tell them what they have is 'wrong' or they aren't knowledgable enough and no one wants to feels they can't adequately provide for a pet. Some people obviously can't, which is why a homecheck is I feel necessary. Photos can always be faked... Anyway to finish the story after the homecheck we picked up Ed within a few weeks. Which I don't think it really very long to wait either.

Also I like the fact with rescue piggies you sometimes know their background or atleast some of their history. Pet shops are quite impersonal.

 

[Salt n Peppers mum]

Poppy'smum - you wouldnt 'fail' a homecheck because of the food you gave
Our info sheet for Barc rescue is a guideline - quote- A Guinea Pig Pellet/Nugget food is recommended rather than a muesli mix that often encourages selective feeding.
To me this is a recommendation - not a rule
I cant comment at all on Woodgreen recommending free range grass time, I have never come across that as a rehoming policy!
A secure outside run is recommended.

Heidi, I like your honesty, I am understand how you feel, I myself feel inadequate at parents evenings and a lot of other things as well- When I adopted my rabbit from Barc, Angie must have thought I was a nutter! I talked far too much and too fast, always do when I'm nervous - but adopting Victor my rabbit from Barc sealed it for me.
Angie was the kindiest down to earth person I know, she run a child minding business and a rabbit rescue from her back garden and found the time and patience to bond my Daisy buns and give me sound advice which I appreciated so much.

Thats how I got into fostering - Angie didnt come across as judgmental but just a regular person. One thing she did want for Victor my BARC bun was a shed or playhouse setup as Victor had a reputation as a grumpy man that needed space after getting very frustrated and aggressive living his former life in a 3ft hutch - I saw this as a good thing that Angie knew what was best for his personnality, as it happened we was in the process of building the 'Blue Bunny Playhouse' With some Buns she might suggest they would enjoy being a house bun, but again this is because rescues will have a good insight and knowledge on the individual personnalities.

See, I might be different but I didnt think my dealing with Angie to adopt Victor as a lengthy strict adoption process I did have to wait till Angie had a free weekend to do the bonding so it was about a couple of weeks. But I was willing to wait a couple of weeks than take on the bonding myself - and it meant Daisy and Victor could decide if they liked each other under the watchful eye of someone much more experienced than me.

 

[Jacksonracingteam]

I do find it frustrated that people don't come to rescues, Scooby Doo has been with us over 3 months now, and we haven't had one serious enquiry about him.

I saw scooby last Saturday at the awareness day in Aldridge, a wonderful guinea pig,looks absolutely lovely and seemed really happy when people were looking at him is his cage.
Ive got a brand new 2 tier cage sitting unused but i dont meet the requirements as dont have any female pigs for him to live with,just 1 old single male at the moment. I wouldnt put them together,they could sniff through the cage bars and maybe have garden time together if they seemed to get along,if not then would be a solitary life for him,although we are home a lot as only work part time.
Its hard to rehome males guinea pigs i think as there seem many more single males than females available at the moment so the only option for a lot of people is either try and bond 2 males or have them live alone.
I know not strictly to do with this thread but we picked some leaflets up last saturday and they seem to contradict each other with regard to what guinea pigs should/can be kept on, with particular regard to shavings. We use scent free natural shavings at the moment as we have with all our rabbits in the past without any problems.

 

[pollekeskisses]

Buying from a pet shop/breeder is easy - there are no guidelines to follow and you can literally walk out with multiple pets within minutes - no questions asked.

I have to disagree with you, in my opinion the better breeders are just a picky as shelters and will not let you walk out with a pig if they don't trust you/don't feel you do the right thing. I've been put on hold checked out for 1.5 years before I got a change at a pet from a breeder (in the end Bloempje was worth the wait).

I've been fostering guineas for eons, from abuse fixing them back up. I quite doing it two years ago because it broke my heart. However occasionally I get mailed by one of many breeder I know who rescues also, if I got space or know somebody for xyz who's been abused. Occasionally I cave in.

Because I rescued so many already I'm a person that doesn't go the pig pound, here they often have strange rules which make no sense. Many demand you adopt a neutered boar with a sow or two sows or two boars, where I usually just want a single pet for a lonesome one.

I'm all 'go formerly abused to princess' type of lives for pigs, but I just prefer to find adoptees within my own 'community' these days.

 

[Heidi]

Heidi, I like your honesty, I am understand how you feel, I myself feel inadequate at parents evenings and a lot of other things as well- When I adopted my rabbit from Barc, Angie must have thought I was a nutter! I talked far too much and too fast, always do when I'm nervous - but adopting Victor my rabbit from Barc sealed it for me.
Angie was the kindiest down to earth person I know, she run a child minding business and a rabbit rescue from her back garden and found the time and patience to bond my Daisy buns and give me sound advice which I appreciated so much.

Thats how I got into fostering - Angie didnt come across as judgmental but just a regular person. One thing she did want for Victor my BARC bun was a shed or playhouse setup as Victor had a reputation as a grumpy man that needed space after getting very frustrated and aggressive living his former life in a 3ft hutch - I saw this as a good thing that Angie knew what was best for his personnality, as it happened we was in the process of building the 'Blue Bunny Playhouse' With some Buns she might suggest they would enjoy being a house bun, but again this is because rescues will have a good insight and knowledge on the individual personnalities.

See, I might be different but I didnt think my dealing with Angie to adopt Victor as a lengthy strict adoption process I did have to wait till Angie had a free weekend to do the bonding so it was about a couple of weeks. But I was willing to wait a couple of weeks than take on the bonding myself - and it meant Daisy and Victor could decide if they liked each other under the watchful eye of someone much more experienced than me.

Thanks makes me feel a little less nuts! maybe in the future..... should the opportunity arise, that I will at least give rescues a shot, I suppose that if the worst could happen, they could only say no and point me in the right direction, right?

 

[AudioHeart]

I think that availability just to go out and ‘rescue’ per say, a pig is very desirable. To think you can help, rehabilitate a piggie can be very luring (is that the right word?) and the availability to pick it up say whenever you please it very tempting too. I also think nowadays we live in a consumer based society, whereby when we want something we get it instantly (ie internet for example, new clothing item -shop online/24hour stores/ shopping experience) and the same goes for our pets. We can pick up a new pig tomorrow, or this afternoon if we wanted too. Simple, quick and we get what we want. I'm not saying this is right or wrong, but i think this is the world we live in today. Anyways back to my point....

Now where I live the only rescues are either RSPCA Great Ayton (30-40 min drive away) or North East Guinea Pig Rescue (hour drive away). I don’t meet the NEGPR requirements to rehome from them as I keep my animals outdoors and don’t have heating or eleccy in my shed.

I find the accessibility of rescues in my area very limited, I need to plan in advance to get there where if i was going to a pet shop its very easy to walk the ten minutes down the road and purchase a new pig.

When I rehomed Percy-Roo, I rehomed him from an independent home run rescue and I wanted a month to rehome him, and drove a three and a half hour round journey to get him (Middlesbrough to leeds). If I had the money and time I’d do this again.

I also find as an outdoor owner I am viewed (not in this community) but on some online forums and communities as a ‘bad owner’ for keeping them outside. Some online communities have made me feel like I should give up my boys as they are not kept indoors. Therefore I think rescues will consider the same view, and see me as a terrible owner for keeping my boys outside/ outdoors. I think this negativity towards keeping guinea pigs outdoors does need to be readdressed as some owners do amazing jobs and go to such lengths to provide their outdoor raised animals in healthy, warm and stimulating environments.

I think I've gone off topic....nevermind!

 

[Salt n Peppers mum]

Thanks makes me feel a little less nuts! maybe in the future..... should the opportunity arise, that I will at least give rescues a shot, I suppose that if the worst could happen, they could only say no and point me in the right direction, right?

right -c

 

[doglovinpiggylover]

the only homecheck i have ever had was for one of my dogs Heidi who has a lot of issues round humans as she only had contact with pups from a very early age, they were all kept in a shed not even mummy to look after them.

So, i dreaded the homecheck, presumed as i am not at all experienced is things, i am just a mere dog/pig lover that i wouldnt pass. Also i am very shy and always have a downer on things so automatically presume i would be crap!

Big mistake, the lady that came was lovely, it was so obvious all they were bothered about was that Heidi would live in a nice home with the basic provisions. The lady told me on more than one occasion that nothing would be too big a hurdle as most things can easily be changed ie garden fence etc and it was just a case of looking for information or re educating.

She is a nightmare dog sometimes because of her issues but i would never want to have my life without her in it now, she needs me so much, i love her to death.

I am so glad i decided to have the homecheck

I really admire anyone connected to rescuing, rehoming, fostering, homechecking anything to do with helping these animals as there are so many these days. I just do not know how they do it financially or emotionally.

x>>

 

[Sodapops]

I have to disagree with you, in my opinion the better breeders are just a picky as shelters and will not let you walk out with a pig if they don't trust you/don't feel you do the right thing. I've been put on hold checked out for 1.5 years before I got a change at a pet from a breeder (in the end Bloempje was worth the wait).

On a serious note though - if a person cannot/are not prepared to wait several weeks to adopt a piggie through a rescue they certainly are not going to wait 1yr+ to get one from a good breeder are they?

The type of breeder I'm talking about are not the sort that would 'vet' any potential home/new owner. I too know of breeders (not personally as that would contravene everything i believe in) that will only home to other breeders and do not re-home to the 'general public' simply because they are scared of where their pigs will end up.

But this isn't a discussion on good breeders/bad breeders - it's a discussion on why we think so many rescue pigs are being 'left on the shelf' in favour of pet shop pigs.

My comment still stands - i believe the minority prefer pet shop/breeders over rescue as they 'think' it's easier - a no questions asked rehoming policy! (but on the other hand I'm fully aware and can sympathize with people who think this way - rescue can be a long process from first enquiry to actually bringing piggie(s) home). That's not to say they don't want to rescue - i just believe some barriers are put in place that prevents them (either via the rescue or themselves)

 

[Poppy'sMum]

Poppy'smum - you wouldnt 'fail' a homecheck because of the food you gave
Our info sheet for Barc rescue is a guideline - quote- A Guinea Pig Pellet/Nugget food is recommended rather than a muesli mix that often encourages selective feeding.
To me this is a recommendation - not a rule
I cant comment at all on Woodgreen recommending free range grass time, I have never come across that as a rehoming policy!
A secure outside run is recommended.

It wasn't Wood Green that wanted them "free range" it was the Rescue I went to

Wood Green insisted on a home check in several weeks time, said my cage wasn't big enough it needed to be 5 foot (for 2 pigs) I couldn't wait that long, I had a bereaved piggy to consider who needed a friend urgently

 

[Lizzie]

On a serious note though - if a person cannot/are not prepared to wait several weeks to adopt a piggie through a rescue they certainly are not going to wait 1yr+ to get one from a good breeder are they?

The type of breeder I'm talking about are not the sort that would 'vet' any potential home/new owner. I too know of breeders (not personally as that would contravene everything i believe in) that will only home to other breeders and do not re-home to the 'general public' simply because they are scared of where their pigs will end up.

But this isn't a discussion on good breeders/bad breeders - it's a discussion on why we think so many rescue pigs are being 'left on the shelf' in favour of pet shop pigs.

My comment still stands - i believe the minority prefer pet shop/breeders over rescue as they 'think' it's easier - a no questions asked rehoming policy! (but on the other hand I'm fully aware and can sympathize with people who think this way - rescue can be a long process from first enquiry to actually bringing piggie(s) home). That's not to say they don't want to rescue - i just believe some barriers are put in place that prevents them (either via the rescue or themselves)

If you don't know any breeders personally then you can't really comment on them...can you!?

Going back to the original thread, I too have had issues with rehoming from rescues...several years ago now, not to mention that I also know someone who wanted a rescue dog - she worked evenings whilst her husband worked days...so someone was always in the house...the reason she wasn't allowed to adopt the dog...no one was at home all the time...explain the sense in that!

Rescues do have an air of 'unapproachability', not saying that everyone on here does, but the rescues I've been to you have to walk in...say you live in a 5 bedroom mansion, with 3 acres of land, no neighbours, no main roads, no train lines...etc, etc...there really is no need for that level of strictness.

 

[Sodapops]

If you don't know any breeders personally then you can't really comment on them...can you!?

Wasn't aimed at anyone lmao Just because i don't know them personally doesn't mean i don't know how they operate - I don't know any of the rescues on here personally - but i know how thjey operate! but since this is a RESCUE FRIENDLY forum and i have NO inclination to get in to personal argument with anyone (i am intitled to my own opinion without being shot down) - we'll get back to the original thread mallethead

Rescues do have an air of 'unapproachability', not saying that everyone on here does, but the rescues I've been to you have to walk in...say you live in a 5 bedroom mansion, with 3 acres of land, no neighbours, no main roads, no train lines...etc, etc...there really is no need for that level of strictness

Probably a case of an in-experienced rescue center - i live in a 3bed semi with only a 26ft garden! No silly guidelines were placed on me when i went to Walsall RSPCA

 

[WillowDragon]

I went to my local rescue ages ago now, to find a pair of bonded buns to have as house rabbits.
The vetting process was quite ridiculas really, but i put up with it... and when 'she' came round to my house to 'check it out' she spotted next doors cat in the garden and said we couldn't have them!
Umm... excuse me?

So yeah, Rescues in my opinion need to chill out.

I do not buy from pet shops, simply because i cannot be sure of thier medical history, therefore I buy from breeders. Always have. And No, not 'horrible, back yard' breeders. Good ones, with excellent, healthy animals.

 

[ghostbusterbunny]

The whole issue of homechecks is one that I think can be quite daunting for a new owner. When I was starting to look for guinea specific rescues in my area I found a lot of the terms of adoption to be quite strict (which is fair enough as obviously rescues want to be sure that the piggies are getting the best). I have no problems with home checks if necessary and I'm always prepared to answer questions - but some of the lists were daunting even for me and I've had pigs all my life! The whole outdoor piggies thing would have disqualified me as an adopter for most of the rescues I looked at. My mum's allergic so there's no way my pigs can be inside all the time. We will happily make exceptions for ill piggies or if it is really cold - we have no problems with that, but 24/7 is not possible for us. Luckily we found Milhaven who ask that if indoors isn't possible, a heated shed or an unused garage with lots of extra cover and insulation is acceptable in winter - which we've always done anyway.

Milhaven is my rescue of choice and always will be now and my initial check was nothing to be worried about at all. To reserve my first pair of ladies I emailed pictures of my hutches, answered a few short questions and said which piggies I'd like to reserve. I was approved as my hutches were/are nice and big (we even joined two large ones together) and obviously my answers to the other questions were good.

Then obviously we went to meet them and Joanne. I think we were there for well over an hour having a conversation about the piggies, the ones I already has and just general piggy chat so Joanne could get more information. She also got to see me interact with the piggies during the meet which can be just as important - I spent almost the whole time with a piggy or two on me! It was a really good way of doing it. Filling in the initial form gave Joanne the basics which qualified me to begin with and the meet gave her to get to know and vet me as a person and owner. Obviously if someone does not match up to her initial assessment then she would be well within her rights to deny them the chance to adopt piggies at the meeting. Now when I go over to meet more pigs it's just a really good opportunity for a piggy chinwag and talking about our gorgeous guinea pigs! Joanne knows me well enough to trust me with adopting more piggies and even let me adopt 10 at once in July - was more chaotic than I imagined but her support and advice helped me in moments of panic and worry - now I'm so happy I have them all! I don't know why I was nervous to begin with!

I also find as an outdoor owner I am viewed (not in this community) but on some online forums and communities as a ‘bad owner’ for keeping them outside. Some online communities have made me feel like I should give up my boys as they are not kept indoors. Therefore I think rescues will consider the same view, and see me as a terrible owner for keeping my boys outside/ outdoors. I think this negativity towards keeping guinea pigs outdoors does need to be readdressed as some owners do amazing jobs and go to such lengths to provide their outdoor raised animals in healthy, warm and stimulating environments.

I totally agree with you! I joined a certain piggy forum before finding this one and soon realised that I was not what they would deem an 'acceptable' piggy owner and as good as said that people like us are mistreating our guinea pigs. It made me so angry because one look at my piggies should tell any right minded individual that they are happy, healthy and well cared for. I would have them indoors if I could, but unfortunately that's just not possible. My parents and I have forked out £470 (so far!) for a big shed for most of them which is going to be insulated at the very least for my girls and I'm going to do all I can to make it an amazing place for them to live. Even that wouldn't be acceptable to some people or rescues and that really does make me sad. I'd fail a homecheck for some rescues despite the fact that my piggies are clearly not suffering as a result of being outdoors all the time!


I do agree that at the end of the day it is down to the individual rescues to set their terms for adoption. Afterall these piggies are theirs so they have every right to ask for certain conditions to be met before adoption. I just think that for potential owners (especially people who are new to adoption or even new to piggies), the process/terms can sometimes be very off putting and even disheartening to people wanting to provide a home for piggies in need.

 

[Guinea pigs <3]

Very interesting thread, and it's good to hear everyone's opinions without it getting too heated (as it sometimes does on here!)

I just wanted to add that i recently rescued the gorgeous Finley pig from Walsall RSCPA and I found the process very smooth from start to finish. They re-home nationally and a home visit was set up very quickly in my area (less than a week). I felt quite nervous but once i met the lady she was lovely and really only wanted to check that the cage i said i had was indeed true. She was able to see my set up, and that my current piggies were well cared for. Within a few days they had made contact with Walsall and i was free to go and collect Finley.

As others have said if you really want a pet then you should be prepared to wait a few weeks for them. Some feel that the rescues are being too 'strict' but these animals have already had a very poor start to life. The rescues need to ensure 100% that this isn't going to happen again - i don't blame them for being strict.

I have in the past got animals from pet shops but now that I am educated in this area I can honestly say I will never go to a breeders/pet shop again. I traveled a 5 hour round trip to get Finley as I don't have local rescues (using public transport may I add!) and he was worth every minute!