Unwanted pets left at Walsall animal sanctuary
Guinea pigs and rabbits have become an unexpected casualty of Covid – as unwanted pets are being left at a Walsall animal sanctuary.
Hannah Carpenter, who runs Walsall Wood-based Hannah’s Guinea Pig Sanctuary, said dozens of small animals are finding themselves in her care as the novelty wears off for owners.
Since she started the sanctuary three years ago, she has rescued more than 200 guinea pigs and rabbits, but she said almost half of those came in since the first lockdown.
She now fears there could be another surge in pets being abandoned now all children are back at school and with Easter on the horizon.
Currently, there are 15 rabbits and 36 guinea pigs at the sanctuary but Miss Carpenter said numbers fluctuate as she looks to re-home pets as soon as possible.
She said: “In the last 12 months, we’ve had more come into us than before. I have noticed a surge.
“People probably thought, ‘we’ll get our kids a pet and it will give them something to focus on’.
“But then after having them for a couple of weeks, the children get bored of them – but that’s not fair on the animals.
“They are long term commitments as they can last up to eight or nine years old. They need cleaning out constantly, they need water, vet bills, claw clipping, teeth checks.
“People just think, 'oh, we’ll just stick a couple of guinea pigs in a cage and look at them'. They are affectionate animals but they need handling and they need that interaction.
“Easter’s coming up and it will escalate. It’s just a shame. It needs recognising that a bunny can live to a good age and is not just for Easter.”
Donations
She runs the sanctuary with her mum and partner and they rely on donations, gifts and their own fundraising to keep it going.
Despite the challenges, Miss Carpenter, who is qualified in animal care, added: “I’d rather the animals came to me than have people toss them aside.
“We’ve heard of them being left in boxes or released on roadsides or in fields. People will literally get rid of them any way they can.
“We’ll never turn away an animal and always find room for them. I do re-home many but the ones with long-term illnesses or issues, we keep them as pets.
"We never re-home an unhealthy animal.
“For those I do re-home, rabbits are vaccinated and neutered before they go and I also check on people’s set ups and make sure it’s not just for children.
“We need to raise awareness and people should definitely read up and know what they are getting into before they buy these animals.”
