Abandoned to adopted: Guinea pigs dumped in Mass. woods ready for second chance

Animal advocates at the Lowell Humane Society call it one of the worst cases of animal abandonment they’ve ever seen: 49 guinea pigs found dumped in the woods in Dracut in early August.

But weeks later, thanks to the hard work of volunteers, most of the guinea pigs are now ready for new homes.

“The fact they just left them in the woods was just completely insane to me,” says Cyrstal Arnott, Lowell Humane Society’s executive director. “They were in horrific condition. They had hair loss on much of their bodies. All of them were very nervous and scared. They had mites, eye discharge, wounds from fighting with each other.”

They were also young and severely malnourished.

“Most of them were under three months old, four months old, so they’re also babies,” Arnott added. “They really were just in the worst condition I’ve ever seen.”

Volunteers spent weeks nursing the guinea pigs back to health, including giving them regular baths to treat mites and mange, tending to injuries, feeding and weighing them daily, and working to acclimate the guinea pigs to human contact.

Sadly, two of the guinea pigs passed away from their injuries. Another four were humanely euthanized because of the severity of their conditions, Arnott says.

But 43 were saved and survived, and some arrived at the Humane Society carrying a surprise. Several have given birth in the weeks since they were found in Dracut.

“I think part of why we see guinea pigs kind of get out of control is because people don’t realize they can start breeding very young,” Arnott said, adding it may be what led to the guinea pigs being dumped in the first place.

Dracut Animal Control tells Boston 25 News the case is still under investigation.

Arnott says anybody who finds themselves unable to care for a pet should contact their local humane society. Many can offer a range of options – from supplying pet food, to taking the pet for adoption.

“Reach out for help,” Arnott says. “Even if we can’t immediately take a pet in, we can often help provide resources to care for them until we can take them in.”

Some of the guinea pigs are now available for adoption at the Lowell Humane Society. Others have been placed with shelters in Maine and Western Massachusetts, Arnott says, and some remain in foster care until room at a shelter becomes available.

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