These are busy days at Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue in Chatsworth. The nonprofit center is the only rescue facility in L.A. that specifically targets abandoned and neglected guinea pigs. The center’s Director Saskia Chiesa said right now, the facility houses about 400 of the small rodents of South American origin, and has around 90 move in and out of the shelter every month. But the largest population the center ever had was around 400 pregnant guinea pigs that later doubled to 800 following a rescue back in October from a hoarding situation in Northern California. “It’s been nonstop, it’s just never-ending – incoming abandoned guinea pigs, people who can’t keep them anymore, and a lot of medical cases because people can’t afford the medical bills,” Chiesa told the Business Journal. The center offers sanctuary for abandoned and neglected guinea pigs, but also offers adoption services, wellness checks, nail clips and support to all guinea pig owners. “We really serve a large community here,” said Chiesa. The shelter has a no-kill policy, so every guinea pig is taken care of until the day it is adopted. Funding comes mostly through contributions. People can donate online, stop by the center and donate in person, or contribute by purchasing anything on the center’s wish list on the Amazon.com Inc. website. With the donations and supplies gifted to the center, the center can provide medical baths, surgeries and health screenings to any guinea pig in need. Anyone interested in adopting a guinea pig must fill out a request form online giving the center information on what type of guinea pig they are looking for and the habitat they will be taking them to. The center requires each new owner to adopt at least two guinea pigs, if they don’t already own one, because they are very social animals, so they need to be around more of their kind for them to adapt to their surroundings. “They have this whole community and that is the most natural way for them to live,” Chiesa explained. The center also must approve of the cage the owner plans on keeping the guinea pigs in. Adoption rates start at $35 or $50 for a pair. The center also hosts animal rescue birthday parties. People can come tour the center, and have fun petting the horses, pigs, chickens and turkeys that are also housed there. The experience is educational, which Chiesa feels the public needs, specifically in relation to guinea pigs. “A huge part of our mission is to educate,” she said. “It’s not just adoption of the guinea pigs, but it’s the ongoing care that we do and support that we provide.” – Stephanie Bedolla
