Whenever Brigette Brouillard needs a break from her phone and animals, she enjoys a trail run.
Three miles into her run, she made an astonishing discovery—a large cardboard box off the trail. Curiosity piqued, she peered inside. To her disbelief, the box was filled with six little furry and bald animals!
Despite wanting a break from animals, it seemed fate had other plans for Brigette. Oh, did I mention that Brigette is the Executive Director at Second Chances Wildlife Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to wildlife conservation through rehabilitation and education? It seemed these animals couldn’t have been found by a better person.
A Very Random Discovery
Photo Credit: secondchanceswildlife
When Brigette noticed a cardboard box turned on its side with the top open, her instincts kicked in, and she had to investigate. Thankfully, she did, because if not for her, these animals likely wouldn’t have survived on their own in Cherokee Park, 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 shared in her Facebook post. The box contained six Guinea pigs, both furry and hairless. The hairless ones, called Skinny pigs, are smaller but have a higher metabolism.
Photo Credit: secondchanceswildlife
According to Brigette, Guinea pigs aren’t native to Kentucky. If she hadn’t found them, they might have starved to death or been eaten by a dog or other wildlife. “Perhaps they were hoping someone would find them, or thought they would be OK at Cherokee Park,” Brigette said. “Whatever the case, I took the box and walked off the trail.”
The box was too big and heavy for Brigette to carry back three miles to her car, so she flagged down a kind stranger who gave her and her “six talkative guinea piggies” a ride to her car. The poor animals were likely very confused but grateful to be saved from certain death.
A Very Happy Ending
Photo Credit: secondchanceswildlife
Brigette took all six Guinea pigs home, giving them food and treats. Thanks to her extensive connections, she quickly found perfect homes for all of them. Her social media post about her ‘crazy rescue story’ attracted many people 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 it was me who ran past these little gals?” she wrote.
Photo Credit: secondchanceswildlife
Since Guinea pigs are social creatures, Brigette adopted them out 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 updated in her post.
These Guinea pigs will hopefully live a happy life with their new families, thanks to Brigette’s timely intervention and big heart.
