We hope you'll forgive us as we briefly interrupt our "regular programming."
Over the years that we've been running this blog, we've always kept Pig Notes first and foremost an educational resource. We've sprinkled in bits of rescue-related news -- public appearances, press mentions, the debut of new resources, the rare mention of some no-pressure fundraising ventures. Our e-mail subscriber counts and site statistics tells us that the formula has been working for you.
So, please know that the decision to post this article did not come easily to us. We need to say this. We thank you in advance for your attention and compassion, and want to assure you that this kind of post is NOT going to become a regular, or semi-regular, thing on Pig Notes.
The rescue is having trouble. We need help in order to continue doing what we're doing. We're hoping that, somewhere out there, there are some guinea-pig-loving guardian angels.
Since 2004, we have worked on several large cruelty cases and hoarder situations. Some of those guinea pigs that we rescued are not easily adoptable due to health or behavioral issues. Their quality of life is very good, but they have issues that make them less attractive to new and inexperienced adopters, such as:
- recurring eye problems that need to be treated with vet-prescribed eye ointment
- occasional recurring upper respiratory infections that need to be treated with vet-prescribed antibiotics
- arthritic joints
- nervous and skittish temperaments that respond well to loving and patient care by adults in kid-free homes
Experienced owners will recognize that these are not difficult issues -- just things that need a watchful eye and a gentle hand. Because we are a no-kill rescue, we keep these guinea pigs with us and give them the best food and medical care available. While we're committed to giving them love, care, and attention for their entire lives, we've always hoped that some experienced guinea pig owners would come along and adopt them.
With 24 permanent residents that include seniors and special-needs pigs, plus 10-15 adoptable pigs (at any given time), we are struggling. The economy is compounding our troubles, as some pigs we adopted out in 2004 and 2005 have returned to the rescue as financially struggling families have had to surrender pets. Because these pigs are seniors (5+ years old), they will be difficult to place with new families and will likely remain with us for the rest of their lives. The more sanctuary pigs we have, the less space we have for more easily adoptable guinea pigs; the fewer adoption fees we bring in, the less we have in available funds to care for all the pigs in the rescue.
The rescue's operation depends primarily on donations and adoption fees. These funds are supplemented in smaller ways through other channels, including C&C cage sales, vacation boarding fees, iGive earnings, Zazzle and Squidoo royalties, occasional donations of supplies and fresh produce, and the occasional grant through corporate giving/matching programs.
As a result of our growing sanctuary and decreasing donations, the rescue's bank account has been drained, Cindy (the rescue's owner/founder) is having to tap into her personal finances (again) to care for the pigs, and the rescue's board is fighting to find ways to keep the rescue open. We badly need donations of any size to help with the approximately $800 in monthly expenses for food, hay, cage bedding, fresh veggies and fruit, and medical care.
An additional help would be to find loving homes that understand 4- and 5-year-old guinea pigs can still offer loving, charming companionship for potentially 2-3 more years. We know there are people out there who recognize the unique blessings that senior pets can give their families. Over the years, we've found a few who deliberately sought out senior animals. We hope this posting will find a few more.
There are several ways you can make a donation to the rescue, including PayPal. If you are interested in adopting, please check our adoptables list or contact us directly, as some of our pigs are not listed on our Petfinder page. (For those of you who read our posts through e-mail, all those phrases in blue are hyperlinks to pages on our Web site with additional information.) All donations are tax-deductible, and gratefully received.
We thank you again for reading. We'll be back to our "regular programming" after the weekend.
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