Local News
Animal control officers recovered 19 guinea pigs, including 10 found at the cemetery and nine found in the woods.
Some of the guinea pigs recovered by Waltham Animal Control after they were dumped by a breeder. Waltham Animal Control
Someone dumped 19 guinea pigs around Waltham, and the city’s animal control officers say it’s indicative of a larger problem.
The guinea pigs were recovered over the past couple of weeks, Waltham Animal Control said Wednesday on Facebook. Ten of them were found in the city cemetery, and the other nine were found in the woods behind 1601 Trapelo Road, a large office building, local officials said.
Animal control officers said that this is a frequent occurrence across Massachusetts due to new stricter regulations. Local pet stores have not been buying as many guinea pigs as they used to, according to Waltham Animal Control.
“As a result, instead of contacting a rescue or rehoming them, the breeders are dumping their breeding stock in large numbers out in the woods to fend for themselves,” Waltham Animal Control said. “The lucky ones are found. The rest usually end up as prey.”
Officers stressed that bred guinea pigs are not able to survive on their own if dumped in the wild. However, they said that community resources, such as The Guinea Pig Sanctuary in Salisbury, have been instrumental in helping them find homes for the guinea pigs.
“Our last group of 9 brought them up to over 260 guinea pigs!!,” Waltham Animal Control said. “Having been there myself to drop off our little pile ‘o pigs, I am amazed at the job they are doing and the number of piggies they have rescued.”
Anyone with information about guinea pig breeders in the area who may be dumping the animals is asked to contact Waltham Animal Control at 781-314-3596.
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
