If you adopt a guinea pig from an animal shelter, you are definitely doing something good. Here are some tips to help you understand how adopting a pig from a shelter works.
Guinea pigs from shelters are happy when they get a nice, loving home – Shutterstock / Miroslav Hlavko
There are a variety of reasons why guinea pigs end up in animal shelters or animal sanctuaries. Sometimes the circumstances of the previous owners have changed and they no longer have time to take care of the piglets. It is also possible that an allergy has unexpectedly developed. Others, on the other hand, get into trouble soon after birth because the owners were surprised by the offspring and have no place for the young animals. From time to time, the veterinary office also has to free animals from poor husbandry and hand them over to animal welfare for mediation.
Guinea pigs from a shelter or animal shelter: advantages
In most cases, you can check the animal welfare organization’s or shelter’s website to see if they have guinea pigs to adopt. So you can get an idea in advance. Some facilities offer the possibility of clarifying the first conditions in a phone call, so that you do not have to go there in vain. The employees are always concerned about the well-being of the animals. Therefore, when you call or visit the animal shelter, you will be asked, for example, whether you already have other guinea pigs at home, how big the enclosure is and what the other housing conditions are like for you.
The advantage of guinea pigs from the animal shelter is not only that you can give the animals a loving new home. The Meeris are usually checked, vaccinated and, under certain circumstances, castrated by a veterinarian. If you don’t have any other pigs at home, you can also inquire about a couple or a group. In this way, there is no need to bring strange animals together and the piglets will get used to you more quickly. In the animal shelter and at the animal shelter, you will also receive valuable tips from the staff on species-appropriate husbandry.
Adopting shelter guinea pigs: what to expect?
Animal shelters usually charge a nominal fee for adopting their guinea pigs. This can vary, some only want a donation of 10 euros, others estimate around 75 euros for castrated, health-checked and vaccinated animals. It is best to call the shelter beforehand and inquire about the exact amount of the protection fee.
Of course, the employees want to be as sure as possible that the Meeris don’t want for anything. Therefore, you will likely need to sign a protection agreement. In addition to your address and information about the animal, this also includes information about special features of the guinea pig – such as chronic diseases. In addition, it is regulated that the animal is taken back if problems should arise.
In our guide “Guinea pigs: accessories for happy sea creatures” you will find tips on what your future animal roommates will need. If you only want to adopt a guinea pig from the animal shelter and bring it together with your group at home, the article “Socializing guinea pigs: How it works” will help you further.
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