  In 2005 Vicki Palmer Nielsen of Jack Pine Guinea Pig Rescue retired (more or less) after 14 years of taking in unwanted, abandoned and neglected piggies. JPGPR is now more of a guinea pig sanctuary rather than an active rescue. We still have over a dozen guinea pigs but they will live out the rest of their lives here, safe and well cared for. I am pretty much no longer taking in or adopting out guinea pigs. My time and resources are used to make life as pleasant as possible for the mostly old, handicapped and sick guinea pigs I still have. People that have adopted guinea pigs from me in the past are welcome to contact me with any questions or concerns they might have. I LOVE updates on my adopted pigsters! Pictures of my adopted g. pigs tickle me to my toes! Also - and this is important - all of my adopted guinea pigs have a Lifetime Guarantee. If for any reason you can't keep or don't want to keep a guinea pig adopted from me, I want it back. Doesn't matter how long you've had it, doesn't matter why you can't keep it. Just email me to make arrangements at jpgpr@aol.com. If you adopted one of my JPGPR guinea pigs through Allysse at Twin Cities Guinea Pig Rescue the same guarantee holds. I am happy to hear from past adopters or folks referred to me that are hoping to add a guinea pig or two to their family. While I probably won't have any guinea pigs available for adoption here I may be able to refer you elsewhere or direct you to somebody with cavies they need to place. There are plenty of other rescued piggies waiting for that perfect forever home. Be sure to check out my article Are These Minnesota Guinea Pigs Waiting for YOU?! (Note: This article is long overdue for some updating.) Most of the humane societies in the Twin Cities area accept and adopt out guinea pigs. Below are links to the Animal Humane Society (shelters in Golden Valley, Woodbury, St. Paul, Coon Rapids and Buffalo) contact page and other animal shelters in the Twin Cities area: Animal Humane Society, MN - Contact Page (scroll down towards bottom for phone numbers) Animal Humane Society, MN - Adoptable Small & Furries Minnesota Valley Humane Society - Contact Page Southwestern Metro Humane Society - Chaska, MN (Just southwest of the Twin Cities) Windmill Animal Rescue - New Market, MN (A bit south of the Twin Cities) Tri-County Humane Society - St. Cloud, MN (Northwest of the Twin Cities) As far as I know there is nobody handling ongoing "guinea pig only" surrenders and adoptions in Minnesota right now. There is a gal in Forest Lake doing g. pig rescue on a very small scale who occasionally takes in surrenders and processes adoptions. I do not know her personally and have not been to her place. I have gotten nice feedback about her from a couple of folks and have corresponded with her via email a bit. You can check out Nicole's web site below: Lovely Cavy Sanctuary & Rescue, Forest Lake MN Petfinder.com is also a good way to find adoptable rescued guinea pigs at various shelters and rescues. Click on Small & Furry in the drop down Animal menu, enter your zip code and check out the adoptable listed in your area. Petfinder.com - Small & Furry for Twin Cities, MN Folks in other parts of the country might find the following web sites helpful: Critter Corral/Illinois (Near Chicago,IL) Wisconsin Guinea Pig Rescue (Near Madison, Wisconsin) Worldwide Shelter Directory (A list of animal shelters all over the US and in many other countries) GuineaLynx - Adopt, Support or Start a Rescue, Report Abuse, Petfinder (Lots of great information and links to help you find adoptables) GuineaLynx - Guinea Pig Rescue Resources & Links Some General Adoption Information Most rescuers carefully screen potential owners to make sure their "kids" are getting a proper, safe, loving and permanent new home - with somebody that can afford the time, effort and money needed to keep them healthy and happy. The average life span of a cavy is 5 - 7 years, and I have heard of some making as old as 10 or 11! Potential adopters need to be aware of this, and should consider how this pet will fit in the future lifestyle of the family. Example: A child that gets a guinea pig when she is 10 or 11, may be working/dating/driving as the guinea pig enters its senior years. Will the child and family still be interested and committed to that guinea pig? Potential adopters must be willing and able to make a lifelong commitment to keeping the guinea pig safe, comfortable and loved. When families adopt, it is important for parents to assume responsibility for the guinea pig as well as the children. No matter how mature or responsible a parent thinks their child is, chances are very good that in a year or 2 or 4, the appeal of cage cleaning will wear off. Sometimes the fun wears off in just weeks or months. The child may feel he is too busy or has more important things to do then take care of and love an aging guinea pig. The guinea pig will always need the parent to make sure life is still good. I don't generally recommend guinea pigs to families with children under 7 years old. I think young children can be too chaotic for guinea pigs. Guinea pigs are typically a gentle, easy to handle animal. However, if they feel threatened or stressed or uncomfortable they will bite - and being as guinea pigs are a good sized animal the bites can be painful. Years and years of dealing with families who no longer want their guinea pigs also shows me that very young children often don't really appreciate the animal and tend to quickly lose interest in it. It is important to know that guinea pigs require a lot of time and care, and they can be a messy pet. Guinea pigs are NOT an easy, low maintenance pet! The majority of the animals I've gotten in here were given up because children they were purchased for had lost interest and stopped caring for the guinea pig and cleaning the cage adequately. Inadequately cleaned cages really stink. It is a good idea for all members of the family to handle some guinea pigs before getting too set on adopting one or two. Many guinea pigs are given up because of allergies in the family. Sometimes people are allergic to the guinea pig's hay or wood shavings rather than the animal itself. If you'd like more information on allergies and guinea pigs, read my article Ah Choo, I'm Allergic to My Guinea Pig! If you have not already done so, please read some of the articles on our web site covering guinea pig care. These can help give potential owners a good idea of what is needed to keep a guinea pig happy and healthy. The articles Guinea Pigs: General Information and Care Requirements, Guinea Pig Housing, and Adopting a Shelter Piggie are especially helpful when considering adding a guinea pig to your family. Again, it is important to know that guinea pigs require a lot of time and care, and they can be a messy pet. (Note: The first two articles are due for some long needed updating. Recommended cage size now is much larger than mentioned in these articles.) So You Want to Adopt a Guinea Pig offers a rescuer's perspective of adoptions. I hugely recommend anybody interested in guinea pigs, whether already an owner or thinking of adopting, check out the excellent care section at www.guinealynx.com - my very favorite guinea pig web site: Care Guide - Raising a Healthy Guinea Pig Cavy Health Record Book (A terrific care and health book for every g. pig owner) Thank you so much for visiting the JPGPR web site, and for taking the time to learn more about these delightful animals. 
ADOPTED GUINEA PIGS FROM ME OVER THE MANY YEARS. |
