Family of guinea pigs left abandoned in a laneway
By Mary Dennehy
A BOX of eight baby guinea pigs and their mother was found dumped in a laneway in Tallaght last week, with the DSPCA urging people to think twice before rushing out to buy pets.
The box was found in a ditch on the rural Kiltipper/Killinarden crossroad by local man Tom McNulty on Tuesday morning, July 24.
Tom was doing his regular litter pick of the area when he noticed a box moving in a ditch.
“I looked into the ditch and could see a cardboard box, and it was moving,” Tom told The Echo.
“When I opened it up there were eight little babies and a mammy in the box, and a lump of turnip.
“I couldn’t believe it, such a cruel thing to do.
“No one would have noticed that box, I only spotted it because I was cleaning the ditch of rubbish.”
Tom brought the furry family home to his house in Killinarden and contacted the DSPCA, which took in the guinea pigs and is caring for them at its Rathfarnham-based shelter.
Would not have survived
Speaking with The Echo, Gillian Bird, Head of Education and Media with the DSPCA, said: “If anybody had rung us and asked if we could take a box of guinea pigs, we would have said yes.
“They would not have survived in the wild, and luckily they were found by this gentleman.
“They would have died of thirst or else a rat or another predator would have come along and eaten them – dumping them is a terrible thing to do.
“People need to think twice before rushing out to get any type of pet, especially during the summer months when kids are at home bored and looking for something to play with.
“When you buy a guinea pig from a pet shop it might be a female, but it may have been in a cage with a male, or you could buy two females but one could be male.”
She added: “This all comes back to people being responsible owners.
“If a person or family takes on an animal, even something as small as a guinea pig, they are responsible for that animal’s health and wellbeing.
“If somebody can no longer keep an animal for whatever reason, please contact the DSPCA, and if we can take them we will.”
The guinea pigs are all eating and running around the place, and will stay with their mammy in the DSPCA for about a month before being re-homed.
Most commonly known for rescuing dogs and cats, Ms Bird told The Echo that there is a lot more to the DSPCA’s remit.
We rescue every type of animal
“We rescue every type of animal, not just dogs, cats and horses, and would encourage anybody who needs help with any animal to get in touch,” she said.
Anybody interested in adopting one of the guinea pigs is invited to drop by the DSPCA on Mount Venus Road in Rathfarnham or call 4994700.
