Whenever Brigette Brouillard wants a break from her phone and animals, she goes on a trail run. Three miles into her run, she stumbled upon a large cardboard box right off the trail. Unable to resist, she peered inside and was shocked to find six little furry and bald animals!
Despite her wish to take a break from animals, the little helpless creatures had found their way into her life. Oh, and did we mention that Brigette is the Executive Director at Second Chances Wildlife Center, a non-profit organization focused on wildlife rehabilitation and education? It looks like these animals couldn’t have found a better person to rescue them!
A Very Random Discovery
When Brigette noticed a cardboard box on its side with the top open, her instincts kicked in, prompting her to investigate. Thankfully, she did, because without her intervention, these animals likely would not have survived alone at Cherokee Park in Kentucky.
“I looked inside, and it took me a minute to process. Six adult Guinea pigs!! No people in sight. Someone had dumped them!” she wrote in her Facebook post.
Inside the box were six Guinea pigs, both furry and hairless. The hairless ones, known as Skinny pigs, are slightly smaller and possess a higher metabolism. Brigette mentioned that Guinea pigs aren’t native to Kentucky, and had she not found them when she did, they would have faced starvation or predation from dogs or other wildlife.
“Perhaps they were hoping someone would find them, or thought they would be okay at Cherokee Park,” Brigette speculated. “Whatever the case, I took the box and walked off the trail.” The box was quite large and a bit heavy, so she decided to flag someone down for a ride back to her car. Fortunately, a kind man offered to give her and her “six talkative guinea piggies” a lift.
The poor animals were likely bewildered by the situation but also grateful for being saved from certain death.
A Very Happy Ending
Brigette took all six Guinea pigs home, providing them with food and treats. Thanks to her extensive network, she quickly found them all perfect homes. Her social media post about her ‘crazy rescue story’ attracted many curious individuals eager to help.
“Now I have six guinea pigs at my house waiting for their forever home peeps to pick them up. I have found all of them awesome homes and we may keep two. What are the odds that it was me who happened to run past these little gals?” she wrote.
Since Guinea pigs are quite social, Brigette chose to adopt them in pairs. “All guinea pigs are in their new forever homes. They went to amazing families with experience, and none of the piggies had to go by themselves,” she shared in an updated post. They will hopefully enjoy happy lives with their new families.
