Tuesday, December 16, 2008

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!

Monday, December 1, 2008

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?)

Thursday, November 20, 2008

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!



Saturday, November 1, 2008

NOVEMBER'S GUINEA PIG OF THE MONTH-Sono!

Meet Sono
from the CT rescue

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.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

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!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

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


from the CA rescue

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.

*



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.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

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!




Monday, September 1, 2008

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.


*

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.


*



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!

Monday, August 25, 2008

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!"

Friday, August 1, 2008

AUGUST'S GUINEA PIG OF THE MONTH-Piglet!


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.