Who is Arizona's Piggie Poo Rescue?
Piggie Poo is the only 501(c)3 non-profit small animal rescue in Arizona and Utah that specializes in guinea pigs. We occasionally foster bunnies, chinchillas, rats, ferrets and other small animals too.
We are a network of private foster homes with 32 registered volunteers and three adoption locations, our main center in New River, limited appointments at Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital in Mesa, and our newest location in Salt Lake City, Utah.
At Piggie Poo, our foster piggies needs and comforts are our utmost concern and first priority. Our charges enjoy living in the lap of luxury. With large, well ventilated C&C cages, top quality Oxbow Pellets and Timothy Hay, fresh nutritionally rich salads every day, plenty of grass grazing and floor time, exceptional veterinary services, and all the cuddles a piggie could desire.
Piggie Poo is an alternative placement rescue for the municipal shelters and humane societies in Arizona, Utah and many in California. Through our membership with the Phoenix Animal Care Coalition (PACC911), we participate in as many as 20 public adopt-a-thons each year, alongside up to 50 other rescue groups.
Piggie Poo is a proud member of PetSmart Charties, the Petco Foundation and the Humane Society of the United States.
We hold a transaction privilege license and offer a full line of guinea pig feed, housing, accessories, C&C Cages, and novelty items for sale. The proceeds from the sale of these items support the rescue 100%.
Why foster homes and not a public facility?
The Founders and Directors at Piggie Poo, through vast experience, have come to realize that foster piggies who are housed with a family become well socialized, are often introduced to other pets, like dogs and cats, and children of all ages.
It's so important for guinea pigs to be "part of the family", to squeak when the fridge is open, to venture out of their huts when the family comes home from baseball practice, and to be loved and cuddled while the family watches TV.
Foster homes ensure the means for the rescue to provide the piggies with this type of one on one care. A shelter with dozens of animals may miss subtle signs of illness, injury or changes in behavior. This risk is greatly reduced in a foster home setting.
Every foster home and volunteer is highly trained and develops a specialty, whether it's bonding like Amanda, correcting malnutrition like Corrine, doctoring critical care patients like Tammy, teaching proper socialization like Penni & McKenna, raising young pups like Julie, or providing long term nursing care like Cassie, public facilities simply are not able to staff as many cavy expert volunteers as we enjoy here at Piggie Poo.
Each and everyone of our beloved foster parents, though perhaps not mentioned, is highly valued and provides exceptional care to our charges. Please consider fostering today!
Why a Guinea Pig Rescue?
“I didn't know there were so many guinea pigs in need!” EXACTLY! 
When most folks think "rescue", cats and dogs come to mind. Often shelters do not advertise the literally hundreds of critter in-takes each year, or many transfer their small animal surrenders to private rescue groups - like Piggie Poo! Because of this lack of knowledge, people end-up buying guinea pigs at pet stores, while shelter pigs are often put to sleep because of lack of space and proper critter care facilities.
Most shelter piggies come from homes that thought cavies were cheap, low-maintenance, and short-lived pocket pets. Pet store employees may not be very knowledgeable about the proper care of piggies, and are trained to sell products, some of which are not in the best interests of the pigs. Now, off goes the family, home with their piggies, completely unprepared and uneducated for the reality of a guinea pig.
Time and again we see these pigs become ignored, neglected, malnourished, or sick. Vet bills can be costly for an "exotic", so off to the pound...or worse, the guinea pig goes...and into action Piggie Poo Rescue goes!
Piggie Poo Rescue has a four-part mission:
- To relieve municipal shelters and private rescues of crisis capacity.
- To eliminate the euthanasia of healthy adoptable cavies.
- To expand our network with other rescues in the Southwest and to develop real community between our organizations.
- To provide unlimited guidance to the public at large, thereby ensuring the expansion of qualified caregivers.