Our Vision

When we 1st started having guinea pigs, we did not have the guinea pig shack we had simply saw 2 guinea pigs at PetSmart and brought them home.  We started the guinea pig shack 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 over 40 guinea pigs in our care. 

 We are currently fundraising for a larger shed; it is 8 ft x 20 ft which is twice the size of that they currently have. We have a GoFundMe as well as a Bonfire Store, waffles, and bake sales to help cover the cost.  This will give us more room for the herds as well as allow Aaron to have his "art shed" once more. He gave up his art shed for the guinea pigs. 

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. 

At times we do adopt our guinea pigs, but adoptions are difficult because my fear is that they will not be as loved or taken-care-of somewhere else as they are here, and Aaron does grow attached. Plus, 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. 

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. 8 bales per month. 

- Kaytee Forti Diet Pro Health Guinea Pig Food, 25-Pound - $30 - $35 per bag and they go through 1.5 bags per week

- 1 bale of straw per week $15.50, during the warmer weather we do NOT have this expense

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

- load of laundry every 3 days (water and laundry detergent)

Apples                Occasional treat

Apricots Occasional treat

Arugula 1-2 times a week

Asparagus 1-2 times a week

Baby spinach 1-2 times a week

Bananas Occasional treat

Basil                 1-2 times a week

Bean sprouts Occasional treat

Beets                1-2 times a week

Blackberries Occasional treat

Blueberries Occasional treat

Bok choy 1-2 times a week

Broccoli 1-2 times a week

Brussel sprouts Occasional treat

Butter lettuce 1-2 times a week

Butternut squash Occasional treat

Cabbage 1-2 times a week

Cantaloupe Occasional treat

Carrots + tops 1-2 times a week

Cauliflower 1-2 times a week

Celery 1-2 times a week

Cherries Occasional treat

Cherry tomatoes Occasional treat

Cilantro 1-2 times a week

Clementines Occasional treat

Collard greens 1-2 times a week

Corn Occasional treat

Cranberries 1-2 times a week

Cucumbers Occasional treat

Dill 1-2 times a week

Dragon fruit 1-2 times a week

Eggplant Occasional treat

Endive Staple food (5-7 times a week)

Fennel 1-2 times a week

Figs Occasional treat

Grape tomatoes Occasional treat

Grapefruit Occasional treat

Grapes Occasional treat

Green beans Occasional treat

Green leaf lettuce 1-2 times a week

Guava 1-2 times a week

Iceberg lettuce Occasional treat

Kale 1-2 times a week

Kiwi Occasional treat

Lemons Occasional treat

Lettuce Occasional treat

Mandarins Occasional treat

Mango Occasional treat

Melon Occasional treat

Mint 1-2 times a week

Mushrooms Occasional treat

Mustard greens 1-2 times a week

Nectarines Occasional treat

Okra 1-2 times a week

Olives Occasional treat

Papaya Occasional treat

Parsley 1-2 times a week

Parsnips 1-2 times a week

Peaches Occasional treat

Pears Occasional treat

Peas 1-2 times a week

Peppers Staple food (5-7 times a week)

Persimmons Occasional treat

Pineapple Occasional treat

Plums Occasional treat

Pomegranate Occasional treat

Radicchio 1-2 times a week

Radishes Occasional treat

Raspberries Occasional treat

Red leaf lettuce 1-2 times a week

Romaine lettuce Staple food (5-7 times a week)

Rosemary Occasional treat

Snap peas Occasional treat

Snow peas 1-2 times a week

Spinach 1-2 times a week

Spring mix Staple food (5-7 times a week)

Strawberries Occasional treat

Sweet potatoes Occasional treat

Swiss chard Occasional treat

Tangerines Occasional treat

Thyme 1-2 times a week

Tomatoes Occasional treat

Turnip greens 1-2 times a week

Watercress 1-2 times a week

Watermelon Occasional treat

Yams 1-2 times a week

Zucchini 1-2 times a week

Sources

Laurie Hess, DVM; Rick Axelson, DVM: Feeding Guinea Pigs – VCA Hospitals

Rosemary Norman; Alison P. Wills: An Investigation into the Relationship between Owner Knowledge, Diet, and Dental Disease in Guinea Pigs (Cavia porcellus) – Animals 2016, 6(11), 73. MDPI

RSPCA

The Humane Society