It Takes a Village to Save a Guinea Pig No Longer ‘In the Navy’
It’s a good thing that PETA staffers often work late. It meant that someone was still at the Sam Simon Center, our Norfolk, Virginia, headquarters, and ready to help when a Navy service member pulled into the parking lot at 8:30 p.m. on a recent evening with her 6-month-old Guinea pig, Tyrone, in tow.
After having made the mistake of purchasing Tyrone from a pet store, the service member belatedly realized that both her unpredictable work schedule and the likelihood of being deployed overseas in the near future were not a good match for a companion animal who relies on her for everything.
Pet stores often promote Guinea pigs, hamsters, fish, and other small animals as no-fuss “starter pets,” but just because these animals are small doesn’t mean that they aren’t a big responsibility. When unsuspecting purchasers eventually understand that all companion animals require specialized care—even itty-bitty ones—pet shops suddenly run out of answers. They certainly aren’t volunteering to find homes for the animals they exploited and sold for a profit.
Thankfully, Tyrone’s guardian came to the right place. PETA never, ever turns away any animal in need, for any reason. We bunked Tyrone in one of our spacious cabins quarantine rooms, where he quickly made it clear that he’s not only strikingly handsome (in or out of uniform) but also as happy-go-lucky as a sailor on shore leave.
Cute and charming Tyrone is the whole package: The only thing missing is a family that will give him the love and care that he needs for a long life of calm seas and smooth sailing. The line for people who want to enlist him to become a member of their crew forms at [email protected]. We want you to recruit this little sailor today!
