Starting a Guinea Rescue

[horsiecutie]

I have been looking into shelters near me for future reference and the closet one is in south carolina and my parents would never drive me that far to adopt a guinea pig. :sad: They do want me to do a community service project and I would like to start a guinea rescue. That way I could satsisfy my longing for another pig and my insane love of piggys. I don't know how to do this and want to see if it is even a possibility. My parents actually suggested it so I think they will go for it. (am I right about there not being any shelters near me people of georgia )

 

[bpatters]

If you Google "guinea pig rescue atlanta" (without the quotes), you'll find several guinea pig rescues in the Atlanta area.

Petfinder also has a list of shelters by state and city, so you can search cities close to Atlanta as well.

 

[Paula]

It's a nice idea, but where do you plan to house the pigs that come into your rescue? Are your parents willing to pay the vet bills that are no doubt going to come with taking in unwanted pigs? Do they know how much it's likely to cost just to feed a number of guinea pigs? Are they willing to keep them until a suitable home is found - which may be several months or even years? What happens if you adopt out a pig and the adopter doesn't want to keep the pig? Are you prepared to take them back?

And are they going to continue the rescue when you move out? Or at least continue to care for the pigs that might still be there when that time comes?

It might be a good idea for you to possibly volunteer at a rescue in your area to get an idea of all the work - and heartache - involved in something like this first. Since it would be primarily your parents' responsibility, perhaps they should volunteer too, to get a clear picture of what they'd be getting themselves into.

Here are some rescues that come up in a Google search for "Atlanta GA Guinea Pig Rescues":

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[blackarrow]

I strongly agree with Paula here. Being a foster piggie parent would make a great community service project and wouldn't be as burdensome to a beginner/person living with her parents as setting up an entire rescue. Having the advantage of someone more experienced running the show would let you do more good for less effort.

 

[CavyMama]

I could be wrong but I believe you also have to acquire a license to own and run a rescue. I would volunteer at a rescue before jumping right in and trying to open one. There are many things to consider - money needed to start, expenses along the way, vet visits, housing, supplies, advertising, daily care, etc. These are things you need to work out with your folks BEFORE starting anything.

 

[horsiecutie]

You all make good points. I haven't really gotten into the details I just thought it would be a good idea.

 

[Seonta]

Another idea you could run by your parents is fostering, some rescues pick up the bill for foster pigs.

 

[YayPiggies]

If I were you I'd be a foster, a piggie rescue sounds like fun but it's very burdensome. Fosters are like having a fraction of a rescue, with all the benefits and not all the work. It's still a very kind gesture you're making so hats off to you!

 

[sdpiggylvr]

Rescues are really hard to start. This would be a lot of work on your part. Even if your parents are willing, a lot of the responsibility is going to fall on them. Where are you going to keep the guinea pigs you rescue? Where are you going to "rescue" the guinea pigs--relinquishing, actual rescues, or what? How are you going to pay for several guinea pigs' care and nourishment? There are a lot of factors to weigh out. I think your idea is great, but the truth of the matter is that rescues take a lot of effort, time, and money to run and run well. I think it would be best to leave the running of a rescue to adults.
Instead, you could start some sort of group that supports guinea pig rescues by fundraisers. You could foster a guinea pig, too. Or, you could volunteer at the shelter. There are lots of other ways you can help without the commitment and needs of a starting a rescue.
Best of luck!

 

[rahunter]

I adopted a baby from the Atlanta Metro GP Rescue last week. I mentioned that I would like to help her out. She said that she is always looking for help at her house, cleaning cages and such. She also said that fostering is a huge help. Lisa is so nice and I was thrilled to be able to adpot from such a knowlegable GP person. You can locate her contact info on Petfinder.com. Good Luck and let me know if something works out.

 

[CavySpirit]

Quite frankly, rescues should ONLY be run by adults. You enter into contracts when you rescue, something a minor can't do. And rescuing takes money--and not just a little.

Also, just FYI, I will not allow any rescue run by a minor to be listed as a rescue on any of my sites. I feel very strongly about it.

Fostering or volunteering for a shelter or rescue is the way to go as a minor.

 

[horsiecutie]

I agree. I think I meant more of fostering then an adoption anyhow. I will look more into it.

 

[horsiecutie]

I adopted a baby from the Atlanta Metro GP Rescue last week. I mentioned that I would like to help her out. She said that she is always looking for help at her house, cleaning cages and such. She also said that fostering is a huge help. Lisa is so nice and I was thrilled to be able to adpot from such a knowlegable GP person. You can locate her contact info on Petfinder.com. Good Luck and let me know if something works out.

I looked there presently and I didn't see any pigs. I will check the site more often or talk to her because I would love to help!
also, thanks Cavy spirit and everybody. I was throwing out an idea and didn't relize all the legal work involved. I will definatly look into fostering. I love animals and just want to help out!