Starting a rescue

[Guinea_Gal]

Hi everone.
I have gotten the OK from my parents to start my own cavy rescue. I have sent out over 20 letters asking for donations, and am saving money for supplies. I am so excited!
It will be in a corner of my basement. The cage will be a 2 x 14 L shape that is divided into a 2x2, 2x3, 2x4, and 2x5.
I have researched tons on the internet and have found adoption forms, and suggestions. I will go to the local SPCA to rescue cavies and start off with only 2 and build from there.
It may take a few months to get everything going, such as building cages, making the website, and establishing the rescue.
I am also going to be making cuddle cups to sell and raise money. If anyone is interested, please Pm me.

also, if anyone has any advice that has either started a rescue, or cares for many piggies, suggestions would be great!

Thanks.
Grace

P>S> i have decided to put the cage on 2 8 ft folding tables. Where have all of you purchased them? Do they sell tham at walmart or target?

[DocDolittle]

I'm sorry to sound rude, and I do think that this is a wonderful thing you're doing, but as I'm probably the same age as you, I really don't think you have the time or money to run a rescue yet. Seeing as you still live with your parents and don't entirely support yourself, I'm guessing you're still in school. People who own full-fledged rescues spend almost all of their time with the rescues, and you won't have anytime for homework or friends. Have you looked at this thread: http://www.guinealynx.info/forums/vi...=395884#395884 I understand that you're saving up money, but what happens when you get a pig that needs a huge amount of operations. Vet bills can rise into the thousands. I really think that you should wait until you're out of school and can support yourself, but this is also just my opinion. Please don't take offense, in the end it's what you do, not what I think.

[JiggityJig]

I definitely think your heart is in the right place, but that you don't know what you're getting into. If think if you'd ask ANYone who really runs a rescue, they'd let you know fast that it's no job for a child.

And what happens to all these rescues "X" years down the road when you leave home??

I think that you could take all your plans and preparations you've made, and just look into FOSTERING some cavies for rescues or shelters instead. Please consider this!

[cavy-cool-crazy]

I agree. It's a fantastic idea, but you really need to think very long and very hard about this. You need at least a few thousand dollars just to get the cages, food, advertising etc. sorted, and then you've got the thousands of dollars for inevitable vets bills for the pigs you rescue. Adults find it very difficult and have to give up all their free time to go out to places which are not very nice, and they get physically and emotionally drained by the cases they see. They catch sleep whenever they can, often finding that their relationships with their friends and partners break down because they simply don't have the time or energy to keep up the contact. If you are still in school then that would be 10 times harder and you will find that your school work and friendships suffer as a result of the continual care you have to give the rescue pigs in order to ready them for potential new homes. It's a very very hard job to do, Guinea_Gal.

Maybe a few years down the line when you've researched more and earned enough money you will be much better equipped to rescue and adopt out piggies.

Fostering pigs is an equally wonderful thing to do - it helps the current rescues and it will be much easier on you and your family until you are 110% physically, emotionally and financially capable of starting up and running your own rescue.

[Slap Maxwell]

I know you have good intentions. But do you know the money commitment to this? We are talking probably over 10k or 20k a year just on supplies and medical bills. What happens to sanctuary pigs when you go to collage?

I would focus on fostering rescues for shelters or rescues while you can, its not as big as a commitment.

You are still very young. Don't get yourself cought where you can't get out.

[C&K]

Again, I think your heart is in the right place, but I think you and your parents need to think this over a little more. I would highly suggest contacting actual rescues to get their advice, and see if you could even visit a few to see exactly how it works.

One thing that really concerns me with your caging is that their is no quarintene by the sounds of it. Are you going to treat all with Ivermectin and advantage for lice and mites? What are you going to do if you bring in a pig with ringworm and before you catch it, you now have 10 pigs with ringworm. How happy are your parents going to be if you get ringworm? What is your plan for sick pigs that need vet care? What if you get a pregnant sow who has trouble with delivery, are you going to be around to notice if you are at school, and are your parents going to be willing to pay up to $958.00 to try and save her life?

I think it is great that you want to get involved, but I would contact the SPCA and see if they think your guinea rescue sounds like a good idea. I think it may be better to work with them in fostering pigs, but would definately not go it on your own. Perhaps they will send overflow pigs to you, or you could foster sick / pregnant pigs, I think this might let you have your cake and eat it too.

Maybe Cavy Spirit or some of the people on Guinea Lynx can give you an idea on exactly what the costs are for what you are talking about, I am sure that they are not what you or your parents are bargening for.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

Is the SPCA no kill? If they are, then they may not need help. Can you not just volunteer there with the piggies? Or with another rescue group or something?

Fostering sounds easier. It is hard relying on donations alone to fund the draining costs of rescue.

[Guinea_Gal]

Alright. I can completely understand all of your views. I am in 9th grade just so you know. They are all valid points, and i am thinking about all of them before i start anything.
I forgot to mention that the maximum number of pigs i am allowed to have at one time, is 4. I have written to 5 vets in the area asking for reduced service. I do not plan on making any rash decisions because as you all said, i could get stuck with vet bills through the roof. Before i take in ANY pigs, i want to have numerous homes already lined up.
Also, unless i get substancial donations, meaning at least over a 1000 dollars, the rescue will be a no go. I realize that many rescue managers end their rescues very quickly because they go in over their heads and they burnout. If taking care of just 2 extra pigs burns me out, well then i will find homea for the cavies and the rescue will be over.
I have wanted to start a rescue for many years, and i know it will be a lot of work, but i plan keep it small. I am sure i will get responses from this post asking what i will do if many more cavies need saving and they will get euthanized if i don't take them in. Have a Heart guinea pig rescue, where i adopted all of my sows, is just an hour away, and the woman who runs it could take in the cavies. Also, i am not going to advertise my small rescue to anyone but my local spca, which rarely recieves pigs anyway, for the point of keeping it small.
All of you may be entirely true about starting a rescue at my age and it may not work at all, but work case scenerio, the rescue flops and i have to foster from now on.
I will learn a valuable lesson from the experience and save a few needy pigs as well.

I really don't want to fight about this issue. Sorry i brought it up,because after reading other threads about people trying to start a rescue and seeing how critisized they were, i should have expected this reaction. I wish you all could have been a bit more supportive, but i do understand your reasoning. I am still attempting to start a rescue and will update you on the outcome. I promise though that if i do take in a couple of pigs, i will find them amazing homes.

[Guinea_Gal]

Rabbitscavyluv, the spca is a kill shelter, and they do not have the services to care for cavies. When i go there, i usually see one or two pigs in the lobby(they have no small animal room) in a small petstore cage, on dirty bedding.

[C&K]

I don't think anyone wants to fight, just go ask your parents what they would do with a pig that needed $1000.00 in vet care, and I think you will see where we are comming from. Most rescues that are considered credible don't euthanize just because the animal needs expensive vet care.

Why don't you contact the Have a heart rescue and see if they can give you a more indepth tour from the angle of being a rescue. Maybe they need foster homes?

Also, with the cage set up you where discribing, it did not sound like you where talking about having just four pigs.

If people are negitive, it is not because they want to fight or be mean, it is usually because the person planning the rescue has their heart in the right place, but has not thought it all the way through. I think it is great you want to rescue pigs, but I honestly think that fostering is the next step you should be taking, it will show you the ropes, you will learn a lot, with less risk to you or the animals in care. From there you could move to a full blown rescue.

[C&K]

Originally Posted by Guinea_Gal

Rabbitscavyluv, the SPCA is a kill shelter, and they do not have the services to care for cavies. When i go there, i usually see one or two pigs in the lobby(they have no small animal room) in a small pet store cage, on dirty bedding.

Why don't you see if you can help out at the shelter to help improve conditions. You could offer to change over bedding, or suggest other combinations such as newspaper and fleece. They have to wash dog blankets and such anyway, washing some piggy blankets should be pretty easy. Also, the cages may be small, but if they are only in them for a short time it should be ok.

Other things you could do is write an article on adopting shelter animals over buying from pet stores, as you seem able to write better then most students your age. Or how about your school paper? A lot of people don't know that guineas are even available at a shelter, see if the shelter would let you post some information around town on the needy pets like guineas that they have. Like at libraries, or other community billboards.

Maybe drop off some Cavy Spirit care sheets to go home with the new guineas? There is so much you can do, even if you don't run a full fledged rescue yourself, and all these things would give great experience to you, and make people in the future more likely to offer you $$ to get started.

Try not to get discouraged. Their is so much you can do!

[Sabriel]

It will also show you if you can let go. I am fostering right now, I could not do it again. I will be very heartbroken the day Lina leaves. I know one day that she has to, but it will be a sad/happy day. If I didn't not know the person she was going to I could not do it. At least I know Slap will send me a ton of pictures and I know Slap's home will be even better for Lina since she has many sows and a neutered boar to try to pair her up with.

[Funnygpigs]

Lina is a super cute pig! I love the pigtrure of her in her pink t-shirt!

I think that at 14-15 years of age, no vet is going to want to even talk to you about reduced vet care. I could be worng, but I dont think you can even bring them in and have them treated with out an adult? I am not sure about that.

Anyways, I know if I was a vet, I would not even consider having any kind of contract with a minor. The liability for that would be threw the roof!

Also, you think people are going to give a 14 year old donations for a rescue that is in a basement? I would not. Plus, is this basement finished? Heated? Leeky?

Also, the cage set-up that you described, has all of the pigs lined up next to each other. That is not proper way to quarentine. Plus, money, money, and more money! Sorry, but running a rescue is going to cost you more then $1,000. Are your parents going to run this rescue with you? I think they would have to for certain resons. I knwo in Wshington, children under 18 can not adopt form the shelter. It is a good idea you have, but I think you had better check into it more extensivly. Then, think about 2 years from now. Are you still going to be interested in this? Are you willing, as a teenager, to dump every peeny you have into the pigs. Go without clothes? Go without extra money for the movies, ect..? Just my thoughts!

[laura220]

Actually I don't think it's such a bad idea if you've got money saved, space and keep it small. And have reduced vet bills plus if ever there is a need that other rescue lady could take them.

[Sabriel]

My vet doesn't need a contract to give you a rescue fee. Lina got the rescue discount even though I am not an established rescue. My rescue friend who refered me and drove me mentioned it.

[Ly&Pigs]

I can't pm you back Guinea_Gal until you delete some pm's from your box.