Hundreds Of Guinea Pigs Found In Hoarding Case At Los Angeles Home

SOUTH LOS ANGELES, CA — A local animal rescue group that took dozens of guinea pigs from a South Los Angeles home where hundreds of the animals were found last week said Sunday that most of the critters "are slowly starting to relax and are doing well."

Southern California Guinea Pig Rescue said 400 to 500 guinea pigs were at the residence when they visited Thursday night. Private rescue groups were able to remove 33 of them, prioritizing the most vulnerable animals, namely heavily pregnant females, nursing mothers, young babies, and those with visible health conditions.

Valerie Warren, the group's CEO, told City News Service on Sunday that one of the youngest, a baby only hours old when taken from the property, died Saturday, but the rest were doing well.

According to Warren, the guinea pigs were left behind by a previous tenant, and the landlord told the current tenant to find homes for them or risk eviction.

"They moved out and left behind an already rather large group from what I understand. And that group continued to breed out of control in the months that preceded," Warren told CNS. " ... We felt like this residence were genuinely trying to care for these animals to the best of their abilities."

SCGPR volunteers are working with other rescue groups, namely Rescue Garden, Wee Companions Small Animal Adoption in San Diego and Vegas Friends of Guinea Pigs Rescue, and will be seeking fosters or adopters for the animals if they're successful in rescuing the remaining guinea pigs.
Warren said she was told that Los Angeles Animal Services will be visiting the home Wednesday or Thursday to confiscate the rest of the guinea pigs.

"When the guinea pigs are in possession of animal control, we can continue from there. We have been contacted by many other small animal rescues across the country who are wanting and willing to help. But ... we will have to step back and wait for animal control to do their job," she said.

On Saturday, Warren said she was disappointed by the initial response from LAAS, which reportedly visited the home and determined that all the animals' needs were being met.

"Given that our rescue team witnessed firsthand the situation's severity, LA Animal Services' statements are deeply troubling and antithetical to animal welfare standards and the rescue mission shared by our organizations," SCGPR said. "We have been told that Animal Services may return to the property next week and attempt to remove the remaining animals, but Animal Services representatives have also stated that they do not have the resources to accommodate this number of guinea pigs."

LAAS officials did not reply over the weekend to a request for comment on that allegation or confirmation of an upcoming visit.

During their visit Thursday, SCGPR said the groups found the following:

-- Deceased animals on the property;
-- Widespread medical issues, including ringworm, head tilt, tumors, open wounds and hair loss;
-- Overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions;
-- Countless pregnant females and newborn babies;
-- A diet restricted to cornhusks;
-- Insufficient water sources, such as a single bottle for 80-100 animals.

"Female guinea pigs can be bred immediately after giving birth, and male and female babies need to be separated between the ages of three and four weeks old otherwise they can breed," Warren added. "It's a vicious cycle that can quickly get out of hand. When we were on the property Thursday night, we saw the breeding happening right in front of our eyes!"

Warren said her group was exploring opportunities to safely transport some of animals across the United States to "trusted, ethical rescues and sanctuaries. These potential partnerships could significantly expand our capacity to save these lives, and we urge the public to stay tuned to our social media pages for the latest updates as this effort develops."

Experts say guinea pigs require specific care and diet, and are not ideal pets for children, but for those willing to put in the work and expense, they can be loving and delightful companions. The average life span of a guinea pig is 5 to 7 years.

SCGPR can be reached at socalguineapigrescue.org, or by email at socalguineapigrescue@gmail.com. Rescue Garden is at therescuegarden@gmail.com.

— City News Service