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).

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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.

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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?

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*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!