More than 400 Guinea pigs – including dead, alive, sick, pregnant, and newborns – were found in an alarming state in a home in Los Angeles. Not only this many of the sick animals are reported to have tumors, head tilt, ringworm, open wounds, and hair loss.
In what seems to be a suspected hoarding case, a rescue operation of “approximately 200 guinea pigs” was initiated by the Southern California Guinea Pig Rescue (SCGPR) when they were alerted to a dire animal welfare situation, the agency said in a press release.
However, after accessing the property, the rescue volunteers found out that the actual number was doubled.
In an initial report by the Los Angeles Animal Services coordinator, it was reported that a woman was facing eviction and urgently needed to surrender approximately 200 guinea pigs.
The report didn’t mention any dead or sick animals at the property. But that was far from reality as SCGPR analysed the severity of the situation.
The guinea pigs are said to be found in critical condition, with many suffering from ringworm, open wounds, and neurological issues, with no adequate space, bedding, water, and food.
The SCGPR and members of the animal rescue community had come together due to a declared animal welfare emergency situation in South LA that had been going on since July.
The living conditions of these animals are reported to be so horrendous that their diet was restricted to cornhusks, and only a single water bottle for 80-100 animals.
In rescue images and videos that went viral on social media, the animals were found sprawling around beer cases in a wired door. Some ran around the property, and others lived in cardboard boxes and cornhusks.
SCGPR had started this operation with organisations like The Rescue Garden, Vegas Friends of Guinea Pigs Rescue, and Wee Companions. They had saved only 33 out of the hundreds of pigs found on the property despite operating at full capacity. The most vulnerable ones were the first to be rescued, like “heavily pregnant females, nursing mothers, young babies, and those with visible health conditions.”
As a nonprofit organization, SCGPR is requesting people to adopt these animals, give them a loving home, and take them out of foster care so resources can be used to bring in other animals. Only when they are adopted, the space for these new families of 400 can be created.
One of the rescue team members called this operation one of the most heartbreaking moments. On July 21, 2025, the Rescue Garden team revealed that one pregnant animal had given birth to two babies after being rescued.
The numbers are constantly increasing, and the team is happy to provide support by offering food, shelter, love, and warmth.
While more than 1.5 million homes in the USA keep guinea pigs as pets, as per Kavee, this incident rings alarm bells loud enough for the authorities to get concerned about the safety and well-being of such animals.