My name is Patch and I am a 4 year old guinea pig from the UK!

I am the founder of Patch’s Piggy Trust, a UK charity which helps guinea pigs who have found themselves down on their luck, or been rescued from awful situations. My human Trustees have hired a lawyer for me and he is registering my charity with the Charity Commission!

I’d like to tell you a little bit about my story and explain how I, as guinea pig, came to set up my own charity!

About Me

I was born in Long Eaton, Derbyshire and I now live in London with my PigMum Immy and my family. I have a very busy and active life; socialising with my human friends, having new experiences and raising essential funds for the piggies who need them the most. Because I enjoy meeting new people and seeing new things so much, Immy says that I want to meet everyone and see the world! As well as having such an active social life, I absolutely love lying on my blanket dozing for hours, cuddled up to Immy in bed. My favourite foods are cucumber and parsley, but my dream dinner would be vegetables from my auntie Olivia’s allotment!

When I was a baby, my PigMum Immy was in bed for a long time with a neck injury before she got helpful medication. I listened so carefully to her, I could tell that she was upset, but didn’t know how to help. So I cuddled up to her as close as possible. She says that I really got her through what was a difficult time. It was back then when I learned to recognise some words! Apparently, when she says “I love you” my pink nostril twitches!

How I knew we needed to help!

When we weren’t able to do interesting things, Immy made me an Instagram/Pigstagram account! It was to share my life with her friends, but it turned out there was a whole online piggy community!

Despite over 30 years’ piggy keeping experience, she had no idea that there were so many piggies out there who are in desperate need. So many guinea pigs have had a far less fortunate start in life than me. Piggy Rescues, Sanctuaries and Micro Rescues are overwhelmed with new residents arriving all the time in need of help.

Some piggies have never had their basic needs met, for shelter, warmth, safety, nutrition and medical care. The way humans can treat animals is appalling. Whilst dog and cat rescues are widely known about, most people have no idea that there are so many abandoned, mistreated and unwanted small animals.They are dumped at the doors of rescues every day by humans who are supposed to protect them. What I find very upsetting is the way every year on Boxing Day, the unwanted piggies who’ve been replaced by a different animal this year start arriving. From that day and into January, rescues are inundated with arrivals.

What we did

When we learned that this is what is happening, Immy and I were determined to make a difference. We began by sending supplies to rescues from their Amazon wishlists - such as hay, pellets, litter material, hideys and parasite treatment. We quickly realised that rescues run entirely on donations to keep going. There are also many other things they need help with, which can’t be sent to them from Amazon. They incur huge vet bills regularly and need to pay for things like; fresh foods, prescription medications, private waste disposal, in addition to the constantly needed supplies of hay, pellets, medical supplies and cleaning materials.

Initially, we asked Immy’s friends to donate/send things instead of giving her gifts, but we wanted to make a bigger difference than that. I began holding fundraising events and inviting my human friends. Immy was worried about whether anyone would turn up or not, but so many people came! We have made signs, donation cards, flyers about the rescues we were fundraising for and venues have been so kind, giving us free things, or adding thoughtful touches to make them special! I’ve been so happy how supportive everyone has been about what we’re doing!

As my birthday party, I held a formal charity dinner for my human friends! We were raising money for a rescue which we’ve supported from the start and who have made me their Ambassador! I was overwhelmed by everyone’s kindness and generosity. I could not believe it when I told Tara and Ian, who run Kavee Rescue in their own home on the Isle of Wight, that I had raised just over £2,500 to help the 118 piggies who live there!

Patch’s Piggy Trust - founding my charity

After this incredible success, Immy agreed that I could start my own charity, to help the piggies who need it most! She hired a human lawyer for me to complete the formalities and she and a fellow trustee are making a website for me, so that I can explain what my charity does and who it helps!

I am using this “Just Giving” page until my own website is ready, but I would like to explain exactly who we help and how. I decided that the best way to explain was by making some of the piggies who we have helped our ambassadors, and telling their stories. There are some pigtures so you can see exactly who they are, at the bottom of this page!

Our Ambassadors’ stories

Luna from Coventry and her late daughter Popcorn - Little Floofs Micro Rescue

Last year, dozens of piggies were seized from a cruel and unscrupulous breeder in the West Midlands. The RSPCA simply did not have the space or capacity to hold them. When this happens, the rescued piggies go in groups to different fosterers or “micro rescues.” An example would be kind human Urusla, who took Luna and Popcorn in immediately. I don’t want to upset anybody by going into graphic detail, but they were both in such a poor state of health, they would not have survived another day. It’s people like Urusla who do the hardest and most upsetting work. They see horrific cruelty and it’s devastating when they do their best, but it’s not enough. The majority of guinea pigs in situations like this arrive with very urgent medical needs. This involves people like Ursula paying huge vets’ bills out of their own money and potentially even having to go without things for themselves, because no-one can turn a piggy like that away. I helped Luna and her daughter by sending crucial supplies, such as tins of kitten milk formula, critical care feed and vitamins. We were so happy when they both started to recover, Luna’s beautiful fur grew back and baby Popcorn flourished! Sadly, baby Popcorn’s organs didn’t develop properly because she was so malnourished as a tiny baby. She crossed the rainbow bridge recently and we have been absolutely devastated, as has Ursula. Luna’s health really suffered as she grieved, but I am really happy to tell you that the rest of the herd have been so kind and she is eating and acting more normally now!

I have included pigtures of Luna and Popcorn at the bottom of my post.

Walter from the Isle of Wight and his brother Wilbur - Kavee Rescue

I have known Tara and Ian, who run Kavee Rescue for four years. It was because of them that we first started helping rescues! They are the kindest and most selfless people I have ever met! When we visited them on the Isle of Wight last year, I felt like I’d known them forever! I wanted to be cuddled by them constantly! I couldn’t believe what an incredible job they do. Everything was so tidy and smelt so fresh! It’s a constant job going round everybody, checking for health issues, cleaning cages, preparing fresh food and giving out medications!

Last summer, a cardboard box was left on their doorstep. Nobody rang the bell, so they only knew because their Ring doorbell had picked up motion. In the box were two very frail and extremely unwell baby boars. They were both suffering from respiratory infections, parasites and extremely malnourished. Nobody expected them to survive, so Tara did her best to make them as comfortable as possible. We wanted to do absolutely everything possible to give them a chance of survival. We helped with their vets’ fees and Tara stayed up night after night, syringe feeding them water, critical care feed and medications. It took a while and Wilbur started to recover, but Walter was still in critical condition. Miraculously and due to Tara’s extreme dedication, he survived! I knew exactly what would happen! When we visited Kavee Rescue and Immy held Walter in her arms, she cried all over him and couldn’t stop kissing him! I met him and immediately loved him! I waved my nose happily and I gave him the nose kisses of friendship! I have included pigtures of Walter and Wilbur at the bottom of my post.

Rescues like Tara and Ian’s run on donations. Because life is expensive, many humans want to donate, but aren’t able to. There have been many times when Kavee Rescue have struggled to stay afloat.

Exactly what Patch’s Piggy Trust does

My charity tries to provide support when and where it’s needed the most. If a rescue is struggling and needs more financial help, we do our best. When something happens like the pigs' washing machine for their bedding and towels breaks, we replace it for them if our funds allow. Micro rescues and individuals like Ursula aren't in a position to fundraise as well as looking after everyone. If there are piggies who have been seized, or recently handed in with critical medical issues, we contribute to the vets’ fees as much as we can.

I hope that people support me to help individual piggies, rescues and micro rescues as much as I possibly can!

How to help

If you would like to make a donation on this page, I am very grateful for your help and encouragement in what I am doing! But I understand that there are so many people who aren’t in a position to give financial support.

If you’re not able to, there are lots of other things you can do to help! Please consider finding out where the nearest guinea pig rescue is to you. Most towns will have one. You could take old towels for them to use. Or you could drop off a bag of vegetables for them when you can!

The best fresh foods to take are; cucumber, carrots, lettuces (but not Iceberg!), bell peppers, broccoli, spinach and even brussels sprouts! Guinea pigs are herbivores, rather than vegans, so we can’t eat grains, legumes, dairy products and some fruits.

Adopt don’t shop

If someone you know talks about getting a guinea pig for their child, please tell them that a lot of hard work is involved. It’s not realistic for any child to be responsible for meeting a pet’s needs. If you think an adult is giving in to a nagging child, please try your best to deter them from buying a piggy. They aren’t a “starter” or “children’s” pet as they are often described.

Despite there being so many piggies in rescues who need homes, I would like to make people aware of why they shouldn’t buy animals from Pets at Home. There have been a number of scandals in the newspapers about how they do not care for their animals properly and how they’ve been selling extremely ill piggies to people. I have started a petition to stop them from selling animals, on change.org. Please help me by signing it!

My Petition - linked here!

If you would like to get a guinea pig or pigs for yourself, or you know someone responsible who does, please tell them about all the rescues that exist and strongly encourage them to “adopt not shop.” Piggies aren’t staying at rescues because of anything they’ve done wrong. I am certain that they’d be as grateful for a loving home and a close bond with a human as I am!

Please follow me on Pigstagram (@patchpiggytrust) if you would like to know more about me, what my charity does, who we’ve been helping and what I’m doing to promote humans buying cruelty free beauty products!

Thank you very much for reading my story. I hope that it has been informative and I've been able to explain the very important issues which guinea pigs can face.

Lots of love, Patch xxx

This is me!

Me as a baby (1 day old!)

How Immy and I spent most of the time when I was a young baby and she had a neck injury

Our Ambassador Luna from Coventry (and her late daughter Popcorn)

Luna, now she is managing better after her devastating loss

Our Ambassador Walter, from the Isle of Wight

Walter's brother Wilbur, who he arrived with

Me and Immy meeting Walter

Immy feeling overwhelmed with emotion when she met Walter for the first time