Guinea Pigs, Rabbits, Hamsters, and More Small Animals Available to Adopt Fee-Free September 6 – September 8
BOSTON, Sept. 5, 2024 – Following successful adoption events in which 84 dogs and 141 cats were rehomed, the MSPCA-Angell and some of its Massachusetts Animal Shelter Support (MASS) coalition partners are wrapping up their summer slate of special events with a fee-waived adoptathon for small animals!
The “Pink Piggy Club” adoption event—inspired by pop star Chappell Roan—comes as shelters across Massachusetts and the country grapple with large populations of small animals, especially rabbits and guinea pigs, which usually stay in shelters weeks longer than their dog and cat counterparts.
“People are often surprised to hear shelters have small animals like guinea pigs and rabbits in our care,” said MSPCA-Angell Vice President of Animal Protection, Mike Keiley. “They usually get them from pet shops that don’t know they’re selling mixed genders, and the animals breed quickly, which can leave people with far more pets than they’re able to care for.”
“Sometimes when that happens, owners surrender the new pets to us, but, unfortunately, many don’t have that kind of positive outcome.”
An ‘Overwhelming’ Problem
Lowell Humane Society recently took in nearly 50 guinea pigs that were abandoned in Dracut last month. Animal Control found the helpless animals in serious need of veterinary care on a small trail.
Speaking about the incident, Keiley said, “It’s sad to say, but these things aren’t rare. People can make bad choices when they’re in a tough spot, and it’s the poor animals who are in jeopardy.”
Lowell Humane nursed the guinea pigs back to health, and many will be available to adopt fee-free this weekend.
“We [animal shelters] often get small animals like mice, guinea pigs, and rabbits in larger groups, like what just happened to Lowell Humane, which makes caring for them and adopting them out that much more challenging,” he elaborated.
According to Keiley, the MSPCA Advocacy Department is pushing for changes on state and local levels that would help address this problem.
“We’re pushing to ban the sale of rabbits and guinea pigs in pet stores, which would help keep populations from getting out of control,” he explained. “Those efforts are extremely important, and more communities have been successful in recent pushes to put such bans in place, but we need to do something immediately to ease overcrowding.”
“We’re hoping this adoption event will do just that in shelters across the state, which will free up resources needed to make some of our other coalition work—like behavior training—more successful.”
Adopt a Small Pet (or Two)!
The Pink Piggy Club adoption event begins Friday, September 6 and runs through Sunday, September 8 at MSPCA shelters in Boston, Methuen, and Centerville, as well as MASS coalition members Worcester Animal Rescue League (WARL) and Berkshire Humane Society, and non-coalition partners Animal Protection Center of Southeastern Massachusetts (APCSM) and Lowell Humane.
“Across all seven shelters, we’re hoping to rehome at least 100 small animals,” said Keiley. “It’s definitely a lofty goal, but we have great support in the community, so I’m optimistic we’ll achieve it!”
All small animals will be eligible for the event, including rabbits, hamsters, birds, guinea pigs, mice, rats, and ferrets. More information can be found at mspca.org/feewaived.
