A grayish-brown guinea pig was reportedly living in a “patch of the brush” near the Monongahela River when a group of volunteers was finally able to rescue the rodent, according to reports.
Alicia Wentzel, one of the volunteers, told Pittsburgh City Paper they’ve been trying to rescue the guinea pig for months. The rodent finally has been saved and re-homed.
“After months and months, hundreds of combined surveillance hours, and hundreds of dollars in equipment and bait, we were successful in trapping her today. The South Side pig is officially caught!” Wentzel recently wrote in a statement to Pittsburgh City Paper.
The volunteer confirmed the guinea pig was lured into a “humane skunk trap” on Saturday, Oct. 15. The efforts to successfully rescue the rodent required help from 22 volunteers.
“[Volunteers] have been actively taking turns going down there, sharing ideas, and sitting with traps waiting for her to wander into one,” Wentzel added. “It wasn’t a moment too soon. With the temperatures dropping, we are certain she wouldn’t have made it past this week as she has already developed a bit of an upper respiratory infection that is now being treated with antibiotics.”
The group of volunteers believes the guinea pig was abandoned by a previous owner, though the animal’s origins are unknown, according to Pittsburgh City Paper.
“I think it’s most important though that people realize not only is it not fair for these poor animals to be dumped, it’s illegal,” she continued.
Anyone who has a guinea pig in need of a new home can contact Wheek Care Guinea Pig Rescue.
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