Llandudno pet store saves abandoned guinea pigs
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A Llandudno pet store stepped in to save 37 abandoned guinea pigs.
They had been left in boxes outside the Pets at Home store on the Mostyn Champneys Shopping Park.
With the help of the in-store Vets4Pets, the team examined the health and wellbeing of the 38 pigs. Unfortunately it was found that one was too sick to survive and many of the males were also found wounded and injured with bites – most likely due to being kept in cramped conditions. Upon a full heath check, at least 10 females were also found to heavily pregnant.
Emma Nefield, a store colleague, took it upon herself to take up responsibility for the animals and is helping to nurse them back to full health. Emma, who works part-time at the nearby RSPCA branch, is unfortunately well accustomed to finding abandoned pets on her doorstep.
Emma said: “It’s always sad to see a situation like this but we are doing our best to care for them until we find them forever homes. Support Adoption for Pets has been kind enough to help us out and over the next few weeks many of the guinea pigs will be moved to other stores.”
Support Adoption For Pets will assist in the rehoming of at least 30 guinea pigs who will be moved to the Rhyl, Bangor, Wallasey, Queensferry and Holyhead adoption centres in an effort to find them new, loving homes.
Justine Quirk, Support Adoption For Pets said: “When we got the call from the store to explain what had happened our immediate concern was to make sure that they were all healthy and received the veterinary attention they needed. We then started to work with our local adoption centres in stores to find them room to recuperate and receive the love and attention that they deserve. Once they are given the all-clear from the vets we will be looking for permanent, forever homes for them.”
Due to the large number of guinea pigs, the team have been finding it difficult to keep track of them all so Emma has come up with a way of identifying them – by naming them after periodic table elements. So far, there has been Argon, Zinc, Copper and Nickel with many more.
Emma added: “We believe the owner has been struggling to cope with the animals due to the speed in which they breed. Guinea pigs can breed from four weeks so can quickly become a handful and take up a lot of space. When we find a home for one of our own guinea pigs, we also ensure they have a suitable enclosure waiting and are given away in same sex pairs.
“In store, we have a ‘rule of three’ where three colleagues have to have a consensus on the sex of the guinea pig we sell. That way we make sure a situation like this can be avoided. We just wish that the person who felt so overwhelmed with these guinea pigs came into store to talk to us before, so we could give advice and help.”
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