Animal rescue plea after two guinea pigs found 'huddled and frozen' in field in Wakefield

The two guinea pigs were found abandoned in a field close to South Elmsall on Wednesday, before being rushed to nearby rescue Hilton's Guinea Piggies.

Owner Lynnie Hilton says the animals, who she has named Bill and Ted, were facing a whole host of health issues, including overgrown claws, infections and signs of malnourishment.

After days of specialist care, they are beginning to show signs of improvement, though Lynnie says Bill is "really struggling" to overcome some of his illnesses.

Lynnie said: "On Wednesday morning one of my friends happened to be driving from South Kirkby to Elmsall, when a guy jumped out in front of her car and flagged her down.

"He said there were some guinea pigs in the field and he couldn't get them because of his dog.

"A guinea pig is a prey animal, they scarper from predators, that’s their natural instinct. But when my friend tried to pick them up they just stayed together, huddled and frozen.

“They looked pathetic, she just picked them up which wasn't normal guinea pig behaviour."

Lynnie, who is currently caring for 18 guinea pigs at her home, thanked her friends Donna-Marie Witney and Karlie Dockerty for helping to rescue the animals and bring them to safety, as well as the unnamed man who initially discovered the duo.

Bill and Ted were in a poor state of health, with overgrown claws, fungal infections and mites.

She said: "These are some of the worst I've had for a long time.

"I couldn’t even tell what sex they were at first, because they were covered with poo. They turned out to be two boys.

“They couldn’t poo because it couldn’t come out, so eventually it would have killed them.

"Their claws were like spirals. One had a burst cyst so we cleaned that out.

"I wouldn't say they were majorly underweight, but they’ve had a rubbish diet. People think ‘I'll buy a cheap old bag of guinea pig food’, but that’s not enough."

Lynnie says rescues such as hers have seen a sharp spike in requests for help during lockdown, with many families unable to care for animals they adopted for company during the first months of the pandemic.

She urged people to do their research before welcoming new pets into their families, and seek help if they are struggling to provide for their animals.

She said: "People want them because there’s nothing else to do, but a guinea pig lives eight years. That’s a lot of time.

"People don’t research. A guinea pig needs a lot of food, I think they’re more expensive than a rabbit because they eat more. They have to eat more to keep warm.

"Some of the rescues have just been surrendered because they can’t cope with them, they’ve not been neglected.

"I'd rather people drop them in a box on the doorstep or knock and surrender the pigs if they can't cope with them."

For more information, visit Hilton's Guinea Piggies on Facebook.