[Gpdd] re: [BREEDING] <in defense of Lisa>

Lauren Cordeiro lauren_cordeiro at student.uml.edu
Tue Feb 17 19:27:50 EST 2004


I've got to step back for a minute here in regards to Lisa's defense of her starting to breed GPs. The fact is, we do not all own guinea pigs because they needed to be rescued; we own them mainly because they make fun and loving pets. If it is true, which it very well could be, that in her region of New Zealand there does not exist a surplus GP population, then from my own moral standpoint I wouldn't have a problem with her breeding, and in fact if I were there might even buy my piggies from her. The fact is that yes, many GPs in stores do end up as snake food, and as a GP lover I don't want to support that, which is why I will try never to buy from a petstore again, as you may have read from my last rant. That's why independent breeders can be a very positive thing for the guinea pig community, if there's not already a local surplus. Independent breeders, like humane shelters, can screen potential families, reducing the risk of potential GP abuse. And because she cares for the GPs herself, and is not selling them through a second party (i.e. some minimum-wage high school kid who doesn't know crap about GPs), she could be able to provide them experienced advice. Also, because as she says, she is doing this from her home, and not some undisclosed breeding facility in God-knows-where, she would possibly be able to be held more accountable by people who would come to her farm and actually look at the area where the animal lives. Just think, if, by the grace of God there was virtually no more guinea pig over-population in your or my area. Would you give up sharing your lives with guinea pigs? Perhaps a lot of us would feel that we give them as much joy and love and as they give us, as well as an enjoyable life, and would opt to purchase a guinea pig from a friend who breeds them, or from a local breeder with a good reputation and whose breeding facilities were completely open to potential adopters. I would. If there wasn't a surplus, that is. So Lisa, I would just suggest that if you are going to go into the business you would consider the following:
a) do not sell guinea pigs to petstores. Try to sell only directly to potential families. Most stores do not screen potential owners, and many sell GPs with the knowledge that they will be live food, or killed in an inhumane way (frozen, bludgeoned, suffocated) to become food. Also, many petstore employees have limited knowledge of guinea pig care. Most petstores, at least here, seem to put pigs in the smallest place possible for economic benefit. As a guinea pig owner yourself, I would assume that you would be more likely to give your babies the same quality dwelling and care as your own personal pets.
b) screen your prospective buyers. Ask them specific questions about their plans for housing and living conditions, feeding, bedding, and stimulation.
c) educate your customers in proper guinea pig care. Suggest alternatives if something comes up while screening them. If the animals are going to be handled by children, make sure that the kids are told how to correctly handle the very delicate creatures, and how to avoid dropping them. To a lot of inexperienced owners the GPs seem robust, but indeed their skeletons are particularly fragile.
d) Give them the name and number of veterinarians who you would recommend. If they already have a vet in mind, ask for that vet's name and number and double-check he/she is experienced in guinea pig care.
e) be honest with your customers about potential illnesses and their medical costs. No guinea pig should be left to suffer in a cage or in a shelter because their owner does not recognize/did not prepare for a serious illness.
f) insist on, and possibly even make them sign a contract saying, that if for some reason they can no longer care for a pig or if they lose interest, they return it to you, no questions asked. This would ensure that instead of ignoring a pig's needs or letting a pig die, they would be free to get if off their hands. I know this may be more of an expense for you and a "free ride" for irresponsible owners, but, really the pig's life would be safeguarded this way. Also, if I were a prospective buyer, knowing that you had this policy would make me feel even better about buying a pig from you.
g) Set a pen or two aside for any future homeless pig you might come across. This one might be just for you, so you can always keep in mind that the animals themselves are number one, not the hobby/business.
h) Set the standard of care for the pigs you raise equal to or higher than the standard you set for your own personal pets, and never compromise this standard for economic profit.
i) forgive us for portraying you as a selfish, money-grubbing exploiter of furry animals. A lot of us are from places that experience rampant pet over-population, and as a result our knee-jerk reaction to the word "breeding" is "No!" But I think as long as you truly have the guinea pigs' interest at heart, and have a little space in reserve just in case you do come across any cases of homelessness or cruelty, then you should feel free to give all those New Zealanders the same joys of guinea pig parenting as we enjoy.

Thanks, 
Lauren, Piglet and Pooh Bear


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