Release the Wiggies!

When we 1st started having guinea pigs, we did not have the guinea pig sanctuary we had simply saw 2 guinea pigs at PetSmart and brought them home.  We started the guinea pig sanctuary in February of 2023 after Aaron came to me and said he wanted to "save the guinea pigs like Mr. Lee saved the dogs."

We are NOT a 501 (c) organization.

We are NOT a shelter. 

We are NOT a rescue. 

We do NOT pay rehoming fees. 

We are a mother and son who love guinea pigs and wanted to help guinea pigs that were abandoned, discarded or needed to be rehomed for whatever reason. Most of the guinea pigs brought to use with live out the rest of their lives here being loved, well-taken care of, and shown comfort and peace. We are a soft place for these animals to land, a refuge. We aim to allow the guinea pigs we take in to live with dignity and without harm. Many of our female guinea pigs came to use pregnant, so you will notice many of the guinea pigs in our care were born at our sanctuary.  This means we cannot take in every guinea pig whose owner reaches out to us; we simply do not have the space or the resources. 

We are currently full and have a waiting list for intakes. 

We do open our doors to the community for visits (with vegetable treats) for the herd.  We also invite community members to volunteer to help muck the shed or care for the guinea pig green houses. 

We do try to educate the community about guinea pigs and what they need to thrive. 

We do fundraise to help cover some of the costs of caring for the guinea pigs we have taken into our care but are primarily funded by sales from Aaron's art, his yard jobs, bake sales, and his mom supplements what that does not cover (which is the majority of the day-to-day expenses). 

At times we do adopt our guinea pigs, but we are a sanctuary and most of those rehomed with us will live out their lives with us. We do have some requirements for adoptions which are simple but often weed out impulse adaptors. 

EXPENSES:

I am grateful for the support we get but let's be clear the day-to-day costs are funded by me. During the summer when Aaron has yard jobs, he helps me with some of the costs but this time of year his income is limited.  

On rare occasions I have asked for help with guinea pig food or hay but it's not something that happens on a normal basis and we do not have regular donors or sponsors.  We hope to fundraise more to help supplement the cost of the day-to-day costs of the sanctuary. 

Again, I am grateful for those who support us and help us when I ask but the truth is I rarely ask when it comes to the guinea pig shack/sanctuary with the acceptation of shed upgrade fundraiser. 

I am ALWAYS quick to help others and donate to others and on more than one occasion they have argued about me helping because I have my own sanctuary and furry potatoes, but I know how it feels to count the servings of food you have left. 

I also try to be extremely transparent, and this post is no different but right now I am hurt and wondering if this is how other people feel as if I am always asking for donations or wasting the resources I do have. 

Veronica

Day-To-Day Costs:
- $5 per bale of field hay and we go through approx.12 bales per month. 

- 5 Kalmbach Feeds All-Natural Guinea Pig Select Food, 50-lb bags per month

- fresh fruits and vegetables approx. $40-$60 per week

- 2 loads of laundry everyday (water and laundry detergent)

- Window AC units during the summer/Radiator heater used during the winter

-  VF4000 Replacement Filter fit for 20 Gallon shop vac every 2 weeks