First ever visit to a breeders house....(Long)

[Fluffball]

Today I saw first hand the conditions a breeder keeps their cavies in.. and its not pretty.

I Guess I should start at the beginning:

Today was my little brother's birthday, as usual he wanted to show his friend the darth vader mask I got him with voice changer. We went to his friends house who owns guinea pigs. After a few minutes of small talk we were about to leave when his mum offered to show us her pigs... this is when the shock set in.

They were housed in a shed in the backyard, 15 pigs were in one wooden hutch the size of a 2x3 square grid cage.... fifteen pigs. One had just given birth the babies were runnig all over the hutch.

The hutch was dirty, the water they were drinking was grey like it hadnt been cleaned in ages. They had one bowl of mixed pellets and they were wheeking at me for food.

My brother's friend picked one up and failed and it squealed in pain. The mum said ''dont she has just had a baby''. I looked around and there was one male guinea pig looking terrified at the back. ''thats our male'' she said with pride. I was appaled.

It was in a cage more like a wooden box. It was filthy had mud all over its nose. Its pigloo took up half its cage it couldnt even move. She then went on to tell me if I wanted any and I refused which was the hardest thing... I just wanted to save them all and take them away from that awful place.

She said she had too many and wants to get rid of them. I asked '' do you know how to sex them?'' she said yes but I didnt believe her. She had one female pig all by itself at the back near the male heavily pregnant. It was sluggish and I suspected it had toxemia. I asked how old it was and she had no idea. I told her if it over 8 months it needs to go to the vet, it might not be able to give birth due to the fusion of the pubic bones. She shrugged it off like I was speaking another lanauge.

She then went on to tell me that one female died two weeks ago after giving birth. She housed it in with the rabbits because the rabbit wasnt milking her babies and she thought the guinea pig would help her?? The next day the mother guinea pig was dead.

I told her not to house them together the rabbit may have kicked the guinea pig. The worst thing was there was no emotion in her voice... no regret, no sympathy for the poor guinea pig. She veiwed them as ''stock''. She then went on to tell me '' she had such lovely babies nice colourings''

She then unveiled a large rabbit. It was under a lid in a box. Its bedding was filthy, it hadnt been cleaned in ages. It had no water no food. She said she needs to get rid of that one too. I felt like crying.

The cat came in and was staring at the pigs. my boyfriend asked ''arent you worried that the cat might attack them?'' she said '' no I leave the cats in the garage with the pigs at night and nothing happens.

At that point I couldnt take anymore and had to leave. It was too sad to be there, I was boiling up inside with anger at how she treated them.

She has no rigt to breed and treat them in that way. Its inhumane its unbelievable. As we went through her house to the front door I saw some fish floating laying dead in their tank. I asked what happened ''oh havent changed the water in ages thats all'' She killed another living creature and couldnt of cared less.

That was my first ever experience with an Australian breeder... I will never forget it. I am thinking of calling the RSPCA but I doubt they will help. Based on m past experieces with them they couldnt care less either.

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[Susan9608]

Call anyways, even if you think they won't help. Call right now. Keep calling and calling until they *have* to do something just to keep you from annoying them.

[Guinea_Gal]

Call NOW! How would you be able to live with yourself knowing you did nothing to hemp the poor pigs?

[Sabriel]

Write letters too. Write one a week and if nothing happen threaten to write 2 a week, etc. I can't remember where I read that but someone did that and eventually it worked.

[Cavie Cove]

Sounds horrible! Poor piggies. Write call do what ever.

[CavySpirit]

I rather agree. There is no way I would walk away from such a clear case of abuse until something was done.

You really need to take action. I know I would not be able to sleep at night either.

I take it you are not an adult. What about your parents? What's their position on animal welfare. Perhaps you can enlist their help as well?

[CavySpirit]

I'm crossposting this into the Australian forum. Perhaps another Aussie can help.

[DaisyGP]

hmm..yep, that's truly a backyard breeder.

[cavywench]

That is disgusting. I too would be calling, writing, whatever I could. I also would have not just walked out of there...atleast not before I used some seriously foul language. But, that's me!

[smoot]

Wow, I can't imagine what it felt like to be there. My first reaction would be to start shouting at her, like Cavywench said. I think I probably would have just run out of there before I said anything rude to her (since she's your brother's friend's mom).

If you don't want to be confrontational, I think the letters are the best way to go. Type it and save it on your computer and mail one once a week for awhile and see if anything comes of it. It'll only cost you postage and it may do a world of good. I think it'll make you feel better, too, knowing that you're doing something to help. I think they're more likely to take you seriously if you don't mail them anonymously but that's up to you.

[Fluffball]

I will write and call (do both). The reason why I didnt confront her was only to be polite. I know its hard to keep your cool in situations like this (believe me) but if I started screaming at her infront of her six year old son and her 3 year old..... I dont think that would of been the best thing to do!

Im going to post the letter on monday by express post, since the postal service doesnt run on weekends. Im making the call today and ill let you know what they say. Ill request an inspection hopefully they do it.

I have resentment towards the RSPCA based on how they amost let my kittens drown in a drainage pipe because the matter wasnt of a ''priority''. One kitten almost died as a result. yes a dranage pipe swiftly filling with water with some kittens trapped underneath isnt a priority....(sorry had to vent)

Anyway im making it an anonymus phone call. I dont want to destroy my brothers friendship with his friend in the process. Wish me luck all.... I do hope that they veiw this as a serious matter and not just dismiss it as they have done so before, with other cases of animal abuse that I have called in.

[Matt & Guins]

Not that it makes the way these animals were treated, and the conditions they are living in any better - but is this person a back yard breeder, or a breeder involved in the cavy fancy?

I would certainly be placing a call regardless.



Matt

[smoot]

Good luck, Fluffball. I hope your RSPCA takes action. It's great that you had the presence of mind to hold your tongue and deal with it later. Like many people have said before, blowing up at someone definitely won't make them change their ways.

[Fluffball]

Ive rang the RSPCA. I had to state my name e.t.c, as they dont allow calls with no identification. Unfourtunetely they will take a couple of weeks to inspect.... they are busy at the moment and it will take at least 2 weeks to a month at most. I pleaded with them to go earlier but they cant. Other animal abuse cases have been on hold for too long and they cannot postone them. Im a bit upset about this but I dont know what else to do. Ive alerted the authorities now all I can do is wait until they inspect it.

Im worried about the pregnant pig... she is heavily pregnant and could be over 8 months old and cannot give birth, she could die if I dont do something myself. Should I take the pregnant pig myself? I dont have much room for it and I dont know what I would do with the babies. I would deal with it I guess or I could even surrender the poor animal to the RSPCA myself.

What do you think I should do??

[guineapiglvr14]

I think you should go to talk the women and ask her if you can take the sickest pigs for free and maybe bring over some Rabbit food for the Rabbits.
If you get the piggies then take them over to the RSPCA yourself.

[LobsterOverlord]

My first introduction to GP's as an adult was at my ex-fiancee's mother's house. She's a backyard breeder. Compared to this, she's a saint. They get clean water, lots of hay, lots of feed (rabbit food, but supplimented with vitamin c in form of tablets and carrots). She segregates males and females and knows how to sex them.

Her cages are too small though, and she keeps up to three females in one 2 x 2. The males each have a 2x2 once they're adults.

Not justifying what she does, but at least letting you know there are some breeders who attempt to make life nicer for those animals they keep.

John M>

[Cupcakeswirl]

Thats horrible. She shoud pay a fine or maybe even go to jail for animal cruelity.