JULY'S GUINEA PIG OF THE MONTH--Barack!

Meet Barack
from the WA rescue

Cavy Companions!

Barack is an adorable, presidential pig! He is five to six years old and came to this small, home-based rescue from a local shelter. He had no where else to go. Barack was severely impacted, was missing a front tooth, had overgrown bottom front teeth, and had bumblefoot on all four of his feet-his bumblefoot will never fully heal. Barack was starving because his overgrown molars covered his tongue so he couldn't eat. His nails were growing upward, his fur was matted with feces, and he smelled absolutely horrible.



Barack will need to be cleaned out every day for the rest of his life, and he gets medication daily for the pain in his feet. He must be on fleece 24/7 because of his foot pain. The poor guy has a fused ankle joint, and as a result he will never be able to use this foot normally.

A direct quote from the rescue: "Despite the suffering and neglect he had been through, he is one of the sweetest guinea pigs I've ever taken in. Because no one paid attention to him, he craves being held and will close his eyes while I stroke him. He is very gentle and needs a lot of my time to help him trust that he will be taken care of. It's a miracle that he survived this long."

We are hoping to raise $239 for Barack-enough for one molar and incisor trimming.

Please help us keep this boy's smile picture-perfect!

FIRST WEEK UPDATE FOR BUNNY

We've raised $460 so far-
$175 over our goal!

Oh my goodness! WGPR has received, in addition to the other very generous donations, a $300 donation. Bunny will be set for a very long time! Over 16 months of care have been paid for!

Thank you so much to those of you who have donated, and to those of you who will (or pass along Bunny's story). We greatly appreciate it! You're helping a guinea girl live her life in comfort.

(or, please contact me if you would like to send a check).

JUNE'S PIG OF THE MONTH-Bunny!

Meet Bunny
from the WI rescue

Wisconsin Guinea Pig Rescue!

From the Rescue:

Poor Bunny almost died from fright. This little girl had so little contact with humans at the start of her life that she was terrified of people and was nearly euthanized by the shelter for being too feral. No one thought to pick her up and give her any love or attention when she was a baby.



When she came into the Wisconsin Guinea Pig Rescue's care, she was so scared that she would sit trembling in her igloo whenever anyone came near her cage. Her foster mom did her very best to help Bunny get more comfortable. In the meantime, the rescue sought a very special home for her (someone with a LOT of patience), but no one stepped forward.

After several months, the foster home took in another scared piggy and cautiously introduced her to Bunny. It took days for the introduction because Bunny was too frightened to leave her corner to meet the other pig. Eventually, though, they did meet and now they hide from the scary humans together. So Bunny has a friend.



After years of being up for adoption with no interest, Bunny is now a permanent part of our pig sanctuary. She is still scared of all strangers but will now tentatively allow her foster mom to touch her on the head for a little scratch every now and then and will even sometimes beg for treats. She will remain in our sanctuary for her lifetime.

Will you help us to provide for Bunny? Our goal is to raise enough money to support her for 10 months in the rescue (pellets, hay, daily fresh veggies and one vet "well-piggy" check-up). At $25 a month for upkeep and $35 for the vet visit, that puts our goal at $285. Bunny had no love in the beginning, so we want to make up for it in her lifetime. Although the Wisconsin Guinea Pig Rescue is a small rescue, we believe in seeing that ALL our rescues live a full life, even if they don't find a forever home.

We reached our goal! AND Opie was neutered!

We've raised $338 so far-
we've reached our goal!

From an OCCH member:

"Opie was neutered today! He is doing well. He is eating hay and drinking water. He had some regular formed poops in his cage!

Thanks everyone for the donations, and GuineaPinny for fundraising for him. The donations covered all his pre-op, surgery, and post-op needs. He's recovering in style.

Here's the vet who neutered him. She did a wonderful job...the incision is so tiny and perfectly closed from inside. http://www.coteanimalhospital.com/




Opie in his recovery room"

MAY'S GUINEA PIG OF THE MONTH--Opie!

Meet Opie
from the CA rescue

Orange County Cavy Haven!

Opie is an absolutely adorable guinea pig who has a rather stigmatized problem. But unfortunately stigmatized. It's a a really, really painful and dangerous problem. During May we're going to try and raise the money to treat Opie's severe impaction (and we're not talking teeth). Please read on for this adorable guy's story and how you can potentially help save his life.

We are trying to fundraise $246 for Opie's neuter: broken down as $68 for the neuter, $15 for pain meds, $100 for Isofluorane, $12 nursing care, $15 fluids, and $36 exam, as well as some painkillers and antibiotics to take home.

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Orange County Cavy Haven had an 8 year old pig named Dusty who had recently lost a companion, but no one to pair him with. They contacted Wee Companions who had recently rescued Opie from an animal rescue in terrible condition. Opie arrived at the rescue, to the rescue! Unfortunately, the match was unsuccessful. The rescue thinks that poor Opie has never had a friend to live with, as although he can tolerate having other pigs nearby, when another pig is in his immediate presence he becomes incredibly fearful.

Opie didn't just arrive with emotional baggage. When Wee Companions transfered Opie to Cavy Haven they told them that his anal sac needed to be cleaned out every day. This can happen when a pig lives a lifetime of poor low-fiber diet and no exercise-the male's sac sags over time as muscle tone is lost. However Opie (at age 3 or 4) was too young for the severity of his condition.

While many pigs' conditions will improve with good diet and exercise, in some extreme cases the male has to be neutered, which removes the excess skin. It also prevents a dangerous condition from forming--unrelieved gas in a guinea pig can lead to gastric torsion, a situation that is almost always quick and fatal. Opie is already suffering from a repeated bacterial infection called enteritis, for which he has to take medication. His entire medication regimine (Metacam for pain, Reglan for G.I. motility, Charcoal for the gas, and Flagyl for the bacterial infection) costs $60 a month, but could be largely eliminated after Opie's neuter. Opie's neuter will also leave him much more comfortable, as he'll be able to pass his fecal pellets without aid.



Still, Opie's impaction issues aren't even the extent of it. His diarrhea kept returning, he was always bloated, and he strained when urinating. An x-ray at the vet revealed that Opie had two bladder stones! His neuter was put on the back burner for the stones to be surgically removed. Between the tests and the bladder stone surgery Opie's bills were $800 just in his first month at the rescue. He also suffers from arthritis (probably from being in such a small cage his whole life), and was initally overweight. Opie is a piggy who can't catch a break-aside from the enormous gain of being in the care of Orange County Cavy Haven!

Opie is just a sweetheart pig. He loves to have head petted, and will just stand there transfixed while you pet him. And he even tolerates his daily cleanings like a champ--he really gets along great with people if he's willing to put up with this! One of the largest benefits of the neuter would be that this poor pig, who has never had a guinea friend, would now be able to try living with a female. Opie could move from never having a friend to having a wife!

Thank you to all of you who help Opie find better health and possibly even love through funding his neuter!

*

*Orange County Cavy Haven
2052 Newport Blvd. 6-189
Costa Mesa, CA 92627

memo "Opie" or "SAGP." Thank you for your generosity!

We reached our goal!

We raised $366 this month!
We far surpassed our goal!

So far we've raised enough to pay for three months of Misha's bedding, three vet visits, three months of Destin and three months of hay and three months of veggies! (And now an extra month of veggies and bedding!)

Thank you so much to everyone who has fallen in love with this special little girl.

NEW: Sponsor a Guinea Pig is now on Facebook! Please friend SAGP and all the piggies. And now we're on Twitter too!

APRIL'S PIG OF THE MONTH-Misha!

Meet Misha
from the MD rescue
Small Angels!

Misha is a beautiful Pink Eyed White peruvian guinea pig with a very sad story. She came to the rescue from ae local animal rescue where her (at least) second owner had turned her in because she was moving. This owner found Misha at a yard sale, where she was discarded on a table of other unwanted items.

Since Sponsor a Guinea Pig has been doing so well with its fundraising, I thought we would aim high for this precious girl. Our fundraising goal for this month is $291, our most ambitious goal yet. This goal would pay for three months of Misha's monthly needs: a $20 vet visit, $40 in bedding, $15 in hay, $15 in veggies, and $7 for a tube of Destin each month so she doesn't get urine scald. If we don't meet our goal, any amount will help. And remember, Sponsor a Guinea Pig is Where a Dollar Makes a Difference!

$

It's a miracle Misha doesn't have a longer list of medical requirements. Misha had a severe urinary tract infection, cysts, and liver damage. Fortunately, the UTI cleared up with antibiotics, but those antibiotics caused her to stop eating and lose weight. Misha relied on the hand feeding of Small Angels fosters in order to recover. In addition, she has cysts on her side which are being observed and may need to be removed in the future. This will cause further financial strain to the rescue (and strain to Misha). The vet is delaying the procedure because of her poor health.



Misha's liver damage causes her to drink excessively, leading to excessive urination and incontinence. As a result, Misha's cage has to be cleaned every other day, leading to great expense for the rescue. Misha must be kept partly shaved and have an ointment applied daily to ensure she does not get urine scald.

Despite Misha's sad story, and poor health, she remains lively, active, and a joy to be around in the rescue-truly one of the pigs that remind rescuers why they began rescuing in the first place, and why this fundraising program exists. Plus, have you seen that adorable photo of her with the ponytail?

$

Please send checks with memo "Misha-SAGP" to

Small Angels Rescue

7501 Mayfair Ct.

Mt. Airy, MD 21771

(To donate by another method, please email sponsoraguineapig@gmail.com)

FINAL UPDATE FOR THISTLE CAVIES

We Reached Our Goal!
Sponsor a Guinea Pig has raised £235.11 or $324.14!

Thank you so much to everyone who has made this month so successful--
What a wonderful way to honor the loss of Yetti.
Though so much is beyond our control,
people are willing to make a difference about what is within our control.


And look at this adorable photo of Josh that Wendi, the director of Thistle Cavies sent me:

Yetti's memoriam post can be found here,
including some adorable photos of him as a baby.

A sad announcement

I am devastated to write to you with some very sad news. Yetti has passed away because of heart issues. I know that with fundraising for special needs pigs this would always be a risk, but I am just so forlorn about this loss. I think any condolences sent to Wendi's way would be much welcome-she is the director of Thistle Cavies where Yetti received such amazing care. Here are some photos of Yetti when he was just six months old.




For those wondering, Josh is coping really well, and the rescue is going to pair him with a friend right away so he doesn't suffer from depression.

Heart issues are incredibly common in pigs-some basic signs of a heart pig are belly pigs, lap pigs, hooters, frequent URIs, crusty eyes, lethargy, and pigs that are easy to pick up. I would really encourage any pig owner to read the following link: GUINEA LYNX-HEART ISSUES: for information about how to treat a pig with potential heart issues.

I'm so sorry to Josh, the rescue, and to all readers of the site for the loss. I know we all grow really attached to these little guys. I'm going to keep you updated with additional news, and please write sponsoraguineapig@gmail.com with any questions. At the moment I am only able to check my internet weekly, so I apologize for any delay in reply.

Edit: here are some more photos of Yetti from when he was a very young boy, with his brothers. Adorable from day one:

MARCH'S PIGS OF THE MONTH-Josh and Yetti!

Meet Josh and Yetti

from the Scottish Rescue

Thistle Cavies!

Josh and Yetti are just two of 15 special needs piggies at Thistle Cavies, and they are the best of buds. Josh is 6.5 years old and has been with the rescue for 3 and a half years. Yetti is a white rex who developed heart problems about 18 months ago, at the same as Josh, who had already suffered from a host of other medical problems.

We'd like to fundraise enough to pay for the expensive dental growth removal (£45.oo or $62.04), six weeks worth of medication: Fortekor (£22.50 or $31.02), Frusemide (£2.20 or $3.03), Rimadyl (£18.30 or $25.23) and Critical Care (£29.29 or $40.38), as well as two additional packages of Critical Care for the boys 2x(£29.29 or $40.38). This is for a total of £175.87 or ~$242.46, using an exchange rate of £1:$1.37864 as of 3/09/2009.

Please see donation links at bottom of entry!

Prior to his heart issues, Josh required extensive surgery for a jawbone abscess shortly after his arrival. An infection had eaten away part of his jawbone and part of his jaw had to be removed, as well as one of his bottom incisors. Despite the most meticulous of care the rescue feared they might lose Josh, and for two months his recovery seemed unsure. But eventually he started putting on weight, and never looked back!

Now his surgery site needs to be maintained with regular procedures, but Josh is the definition of a patient piggy. He is a calm sweetheart who loves being syringefed, despite his mouth issues. He is also a super cuddle piggy who just snuggles into you as soon as he's picked up.

Yetti is his best friend, and the two simply can't be separated. Yetti's heart issues make him a candidate for Sponsor a Guinea Pig alone, but with the close bond they have it's doubtful Yetti would let Josh go on without him anyway! We hope to help ease the financial burden of this small, home based rescue by fundraising for part of their care, just as the medications will be easing the physical burden on these small boys' dear hearts.

To donate in US dollars:

To donate in Sterling Pounds:

FINAL TOTAL FOR MADDIE

We've reached our goal in the second week!
And in total we raised $370 out of $230!

Thank you so much to everyone who made a difference in Maddie's life this month (whether by donating or passing the site along)-you've really warmed my heart, Maddie's mom's, and just happily astonished the folk over at All Creatures Rescue and Sanctuary.

It's wonderful seeing everyone pulling together and making a big difference for someone so small. Thank you.

FEBRUARY'S PIG OF THE MONTH-Maddie!

Meet Maddie

from the NC rescue

All Creatures Rescue and Sanctuary!

Maddie puts the special in special needs. She is an adorable, lovable guinea pig who has won hearts all over the internet. Not only is she just that cute, but she is a medically demanding type of pig known as a "lethal" pig. Maddie is a very characteristic lethal pig-she has small, deformed eyes (a condition called micropthalmia), she is blind, deaf, and has severe dental issues, including absent incisors, overgrowing teeth, and a malformed jaw.

Maddie requires monthly dental trims because of her special needs. These cost $70 ($50 for the trim, $20 for the anesthesia). We'd like to raise enough for two months of trims ($140), as well as pay for a three month supply of metacam ($30), a three month supply of critical care ($20), and a one month supply of veggies ($40)! In total we'd like to fundraise $230.

Maddie was surrendered to a Virginia shelter with no explanation by her owner. At the shelter Maddie was terrified, and ran around her cage crashing into the walls and her pigloo, screaming. She was completely panicked, and as her cage was on the shelter floor she was vulnerable to all of the action and vibrations of the building. She was rescued by an ACR&S volunteer, and Maddie became calmer immediately once in her car.

Maddie has received the best of care since being rescued-in the most literal sense of the word. Now Maddie is an incredibly sweet and friendly pig who enjoys being held and petted. She is the loudest wheeker of her herd, and brings a smile to faces as she begs shamelessly for treats. She tends to beg to the wall since she can't see where the veggies are. Although she has a heightened sense of smell, she is easily confused and often stands in the middle of her cage and wheeks as loud as she can until someone shows her where the food is-then she dives right in!

What is so sad about Maddie, and lethals, is that despite even the best of care they generally will have reduced lifespans because of their medical issues and genetic compositions. Unfortunately, lethals are a result are of accidental, ignorant, or dangerous breeding practices. Sadly many breeders continue these practices even knowing the medical disabilities they may inflict on a fraction of the litter.

Maddie with her Valentine, Wesley:

Guinea pigs are social animals, and so always do better in pairs, but lethals like Maddie have difficulty communicating with other guinea pigs (and vice versa). This complicated her foster mom Andrea's search for a friend for her. When Andrea finally found a potential buddy (after a long quest) there was one problem-he was a boy! Luckily All Creatures Rescue and Sanctuary has a cavy savvy vet experienced with neuters. Now Maddie is spending this Valentine's Day safe in her forever home surrounded by the ones she loves.

Or to avoid Pay Pal fees, send a check to:

ACR&S
PO Box 1231
Apex, NC 27502
(919) 249-7758

Final Total for Jackie and Chester!

We've Reached Our Goal!
Sponsor a Guinea Pig has raised $281.56-
That's $20 over our $261.28 goal!

We've raised enough for the eye drops, dental bur, one dental trim, the metacam, the critical care, the anesthesia, and the Torb injection!

Thank you for supporting Sponsor a Guinea Pig!

JANUARY'S PIGS OF THE MONTH-Jackie and Chester!

Meet Jackie and Chester

from the TX rescue

TX Rustlers!

Jackie (R) and Chester (L) are a newly bonded pair of special needs sweethearts. They both have expensive dental needs, and Jackie is going blind. Their needs are actually so expensive that we hope to raise enough money for meds for the pair for the month, and pay for the dental procedure for one of the piggies. Any donations received over our goal will go toward a second dental procedure.

Our goal is $261.28. The meds are: Metacam $14.72, Eye drops $10.50, and Critical Care, $25.oo. The dental procedure's costs are as follows: Torb injection $28.06, Anaesthesia $88.00, Dental Trim $75.00, and Bur $20.00.

Please consider donating toward these guineas' medical needs, or passing on the site to someone who might :)
Learn more about their story below.

Jackie has been in the rescue since she was one month old, when she came from a local animal control. When she was weaned from her mother the rescue noticed she wasn't gaining weight--and then realized she didn't have any top teeth! A year and a half later Jackie requires some careful dietary considerations, an expensive monthly dental procedure, and her beloved parsley. Jackie has recently had a hard time of it after losing her long time guinea mate, Claude. At the same time Jackie began going blind in her left eye, requiring medical attention. Meeting Chester helped her immensely.

Chester is three years old, and was owner-surrendered to the rescue four months ago. He also needs expensive monthly dental procedures, and has a painful infection in his mouth. The poor boy is on daily antibiotics and pain meds. This doesn't stop him from being a complete snuggler and cuddler with people, and cheering up Jackie again after her loss. They are a very practical, loving pair--if they were people they would have met at the orthadonist's office :) But instead the good folks at Texas Rustlers brought them together.

Please consider donating toward January's pigs:

Thank you for being an advocate for those who cannot help themselves. Please pass Jackie and Chester's story and this site on to others.

in order to avoid paypal's fees, consider sending a check or money order to:

Texas Rustlers
160 Cedarcrest lane,
Double oak TX 75077

FINAL TOTAL FOR PEACHES

We've Surpassed Our Goal!

Sponsor a Guinea Pig has raised $450-
$131 over our $269 goal!

that's almost twice as much
as we intended to raise-THANK YOU!

"Thank you!!" says Peachie!

DECEMBER'S GUINEA PIG OF THE MONTH-Peaches!

Meet Peaches

from the MD/DC/VA rescue

Metropolitan Guinea Pig Rescue!

Peaches is a five year old sanctuary guinea pig with Metropolitan Guinea Pig Rescue. She is a very special girl who has been living the good life for over a year now, when she wasn't supposed to even live through her first night with the rescue. Each month Peaches's medical care costs the rescue $134.50-we are trying to raise enough for two months of her medical care! That's $269. This includes the office exam ($22.5o) an incisor trim ($15), her Meloxicam ($23), critical care ($28), Cosequin ($11.50), Benazapril ($11.50), and Metronidazole ($23).

Will you consider giving the gift of continued care, in the form of a $1 donation (or larger) today?

When Peaches first arrived at the rescue, she was too weak to stand. She had an ulcer in her left eye, a fungal infection in her ears, bumblefoot, mites, teeth issues, and weighed less than a pound. Peaches had to be fed every hour on the hour throughout the night for days.

Now this miracle piggy, who has defied all expectations, is a grand diva of MGPR. She's become addicted to Critical Care (the food supplement that pulled her through those first nights) and eats that around the clock as well as regular meals! She's developed a healthy and unique wheek known as the TRUMPET, and all who meet her fall in love. She now weighs just under two pounds, but acts like she's the biggest of the herd.

Peaches has to visit the vet every month for a tooth trim, and gets a general check up. She has been diagnosed with heart issues, a fused spine due to malnutrition through her youth, severe arthritis in her knees, and her ear infection continues to occur. She is on five different medicines. Since the vet makes them fruit flavored she's addicted to her medicines too-if her caretakers are late she lets out the TRUMPET!

Thank you for being an advocate for those who cannot help themselves. Please pass Peaches's story and this site on to others.

(Want more of Peaches? Here's one of many videos of Peaches on YouTube. How did I find them? I filmed them :) My fiance and I are her caretakers. Don't worry though-all donations go straight to MGPR, who pays for Peaches's medical bills. We're just lucky enough to foster her each day! If fostering sounds like something you'd be interested in doing, why not find a local rescue through Petfinder.com?)

Final Week Update for Sono!

We've Surpassed Our Goal!

Sponsor a Guinea Pig has raised $298-
$58 over our $240 goal.

that's more than three months of care!Thank you so much for helping us feed &
send Sono to the vet for three months!

NOVEMBER'S GUINEA PIG OF THE MONTH-Sono!

Meet Sono

from the CT rescue

The Critter Connection!

Sono is a beautiful one year old girl. Her plucky face belies the sad past the Critter Connection has pulled her through. The rescue is hoping to raise $240, to cover three months of her vet visits ($50 each month) and her nutritional supplement ($30 each month).

*

To avoid paypal fees send checks to:

She was a stray guinea pig brought to animal control, where she was then picked up by the Critter Connection--and just in time! Sono was malnourished, dehydrated, and suffering from vitamin C deficiency. An x-ray showed that metabolic changes were occuring in her spine, either from an injury or the severe malnourishment. She suffered from infections in three out of four of her footpads. These are classic signs of a guinea pig being housed on a wire floor. Sono was in such pain when she first arrived at the rescue that she couldn't walk.

Sono now has a daily medication schedule, as well as daily food and vitamin supplements. She also needs daily physical therapy. This only the start of her recovery. Despite all her woes, Sono remains a plucky pig, always happy for attention. She still has a nipping problem though, which lessens her chances for adoption-still a long way off regardless.

Can you help with even a dollar donation, or $5, or $10, to help us reach our goal? Three months of assured care means the Critter Connection can breathe a little easier--and so can Sono.

*

To avoid paypal fees send checks to:

The Critter Connection, Inc.
PO Box 371
Durham, CT 06422

Make checks payable to "The Critter Connection, Inc." and please specify SAGP or Sono in the Memo line.

Final Week Update on Cinnamon and Salizar!

We've raised $227 of our $200 goal!

Hooray--We've gone above and beyond our goal!
that's over two months of supplies covered!

Thank you for supporting SAGP and special needs guinea pigs. Cinnamon and Salizar are so grateful for your support!

OCTOBER'S GUINEA PIGS OF THE MONTH- Cinnamon and Salazar!

Meet Cinnamon and Salizar

from the CA rescue

Wee Companions!

Cinnamon and Salizar are a senior pair of sweethearts-at six years old, they have been through adoptions, returns, lost mates, and now they're going to spend the rest of their life at the rescue, living the good life. They met and fell in love in the rescue in their senior years.

SAGP hopes to raise $200 to fund two months of their care! See details at bottom.

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When Salizar (on the left) was just a young boy in the rescue he lost his eye in an attempt to assert dominance. He still found a loving adopter, and was able to be paired with other males successfully. He had to be returned to the rescue when his owner moved to New Zealand.

Cinnamon and her mate were returned to the rescue when her owner was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Her owner was devastated to return them. The rescue wrote, "Collecting them from their Mom and watching their farewells was incredibly hard. Sadly she passed away several weeks later and Cinnamon's beau also passed following surgery to remove a stone from his bladder." Around the same time Salizar's bonded mate, who was in poor health, passed away, and both pigs were lonely and depressed. The two were introduced and have now been bonded for years.



Cinnamon and Salizar have slowed over the years. Salizar suffers from arthritis and asthma, and needs his eye socket cleaned daily. He also suffers from impaction issues. Cinnamon is presently fighting an infection. The two pigs are still close friends who love each other deeply. "They snuggle together and still love to dine in style together..Salazar and Cinnamon are an 'old' couple, they do not run about their cage but rather paddle about it." Thank you to Wee Companions for caring for homeless animals in their old age!

Bedding, $20 per month.

Pellets $20 per month

Hay $10 per month

Critical Care $20 per month

Veggies $30 per month

Total $100.00

Fundraising Goal $200 for 2 months

Where a dollar can make a difference!
Send a dollar their way-
or why not buy them a month of hay?

*

*To avoid Pay Pal fees send checks to:

Wee Companions
975 Iris Ave
Imperial Beach, CA 91932

Make checks payable to "Wee Companions" and please specify SAGP or Cinnamon and Salizar in the Memo line.

Final Week Update on Boots's Fundraising!

We Reached Our Goal!

Sponsor a Guinea Pig raised $242-
$20 over our $222 goal.
that's six months of medicine!

SEPTEMBER'S GUINEA PIG OF THE MONTH-Boots!

Meet Boots from the CA rescue
Orange County Cavy Haven!

Boots is a five year old Skinny pig who has been with OCCH since 2003. Five is ancient for a skinny pig, and is a real testament to the great care OCCH is providing him! He is a sweet, mellow boy who suffers from kidney disease and bladder sludge, but he is an angel at taking his daily meds. Boots is recently recovering from depression after losing his long time bonded mate, Winky. He loves tomatoes, and his fosterer says "if Bootsy won the lottery he would buy a tomato farm, some custom sweaters, and a closet full of fashionable cozies." Sponsor a Guinea Pig has to be a little bit more practical for Bootsy
Boy:

The goal is to raise money for a six month supply of meds for Boots!

Boots takes Alternagel, which costs $7 a month, and Polycitra, which costs $30 dollars a month. That's $222. Should Boots fall ill, this can serve as an emergency medical fund.

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Boots has had a hard time of it though. The photo of him up top is from when he first came to the rescue. This is his story: OCCH volunteers rescued Boots from a backyard breeder who was selling skinnies to Petco. The breeder had contacted OCCH to alert them that he had a herd of 40 skinny pigs, all diseased with ringworm--and because he didn't have the money to treat them, the breeder was going to destroy the herd.

The rescue notified Animal Control for aid, which in turn seized the guinea pigs and euthanized half of them before OCCH volunteers could arrive and intervene. OCCH volunteers also rescued multiple skinny pigs from a local vet which had tested the pigs for ringworm, then determined to euthanize them. OCCH volunteers hand fed unweaned babies covered in scabs. They wore gloves and aprons and dipped the guinea pigs in Lyme Dip and gave them Program mixed with Flax Oil to treat the ringworm.

After recovery, Boots had one unsuccessful adoption with his friend Arnold. The two pigs were returned without reason, thin, with long curling nails. "There were big chunks eaten out of their coroplast, as if they had been starving." After that experience, OCCH decided to never again adopt the skinnies out to people they didn't know. Skinnies have a terrible designer pet reputation that increases their demand, but decreases the supply of knowledgeable, prepared adopters. Boots was one of the skinnies who stayed with the rescue permanently. He is the last of the living skinnies from this rescue, and his medical conditions can take a toll on OCCH. But he is certainly well loved.

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Boots now lives with guinea pigs Itchy and Piggy Boy, who just love Boots. All three pigs have lost their mates over time, so they really value their friends. Itchy and Piggy Boy cuddle with Boots, and have been buddy buddy from the start. Sometimes they can hog Boots' heat lamp, but it's always important to share with friends :) Besides, Boots can curl up in a fleece, or crawl up in a cozy, and think about how good life can be for an OCCH piggy!


*Don't want to pay those PayPal fees? Send a check to

Orange County Cavy Haven
2052 Newport Blvd. 6-189
Costa Mesa, CA 92627

memo "Boots" or "SAGP." Thank you for your generosity!

Thank you from August's pig, Piglet!

Sponsor A Guinea Pig has raised
$258.26 for August's pig, Piglet!

That's a great kick off for the site's first month, and it will make a real difference for Piglet. Piglet is All Creatures Rescue and Sanctuary's most expensive pig, as her medical expenses are at least $200 per month.

We've raised enough for a monthly vet visit for Piglet! Go team Sponsor A Guinea Pig!

A quote from a post made by Piglet's caretaker:

"I just wanted to update with some new pictures, and another thank you. We're over $210 total donations for Piglet!! I can't tell you all how much this helps and how grateful we are.

Piglet is always waiting for dinner in (or under) her cuddle cup when I get home. You can see she still has a smudge of breakfast on her nose!

SO HAPPY DINNER OM NOM NOM!! She gets so excited any time you bring food to her. She's finally eating alfalfa. I mix it with a little timothy/bluegrass to try to trick her but that usually just gets pushed to the back

Wait, is there more?


A very happy ending.


Thanks again to all of you who have donated to Sponsor A Guinea Pig!"

AUGUST'S GUINEA PIG OF THE MONTH-Piglet!

Meet Piglet from the NC rescue
All Creatures Rescue and Sanctuary!

Piglet is a special needs pig who has been with the rescue since May 4th. Piglet was surrendered to the rescue via a local vet, where her owners had left her to be euthanized. Piglet obviously had such a desire to live and the staff couldn't bear to put this cutie to sleep. So they contacted the ACR&S, knowing they could save her.

(Please click here if the button does not work to make a tax-deductible donation)

Piglet had no incisors but had made it to three years old, underweight, malnourished and neglected. Piglet suffered from severe scurvy, among other worrisome conditions. She had never had hay.

Between Piglet's plucky spirit and ACR&S's devoted care, Piglet is doing much better. She's had some very beneficial dental surgery, and is loving her regular diet of critical care (sort of like a power shake for guinea pigs). Read about her latest medical adventures here. However, Piglet still needs more help. Her veterinary bills cost $200 a month, making her ACR&S's most expensive resident.

Please donate to help Piglet
learn to live a life of comfort.

(Please click here if the button does not work to make a tax-deductible donation)

Thank you for being an advocate for those who cannot help themselves. Please pass Piglet's story and this site on to others.