TRASH the guinea pig was rescued from a local/national chain pet store, after the floor manager put her in a cage with an unneutered male guinea pig. They thought that she might be pregnant, therefore "unsellable,” so they put her in a small box and handed it the vet staff next store and asked them to "Trash This" (their code phrase for euthanizing healthy animals that are either a liability and/or won't turn a profit for them). The vet on call brought her home with him instead-- and now she lives her BEST life inside the house with us, being spoiled every second of the day like the little princess that she is! (Also--it turns our she was never pregnant!)

Guinea Pigs (like most small animals or "pocket pets") are often deemed as "throwaway animals"... Since their lifespan is only 3-5 years, it's a low commitment time-frame-- which makes the perfect "first pet" for small children. It's cheap to buy them from a pet store, but super expensive to be seen at an exotic vet, so often times owners do not seek veterinary care and just opt to discard and buy a new one hoping that their kids won't notice the difference.

Guinea Pigs are also often sold for meat, snake/reptile food, or used as bait.