Whenever Brigette Brouillard wants a break from her phone and work with animals, she goes for a trail run.
Three miles into her run, she came across something unusual: a large cardboard box sitting just off the path.
Curiosity got the better of her, and she peeked inside. To her shock, the box held six small animals, some furry and some bald.
Brigette may have wanted a break from animals, but these helpless creatures somehow found their way to her.
It’s worth noting that Brigette is the Executive Director at Second Chances Wildlife Center , a non-profit dedicated to wildlife rehabilitation and education.
Clearly, these animals ended up in the right hands.
A Surprising Find On The Trail
Spotting a cardboard box turned on its side with the top open, Brigette’s instincts told her to investigate.
Thankfully, she did. If she hadn’t, these animals might not have survived alone 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 wrote in her Facebook post.
Inside were six Guinea pigs, a mix of furry and hairless varieties. The bald ones, known as Skinny pigs, are smaller but have higher metabolisms.
Guinea pigs aren’t native to Kentucky, and Brigette knew that without intervention, they could have starved or fallen prey to wildlife or dogs.
“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 of the trail.”
The box was large and heavy, so Brigette flagged down a passerby to help. A kind man gave her a ride back to her car with her “six talkative guinea piggies.”
The animals were likely bewildered by the events but were undoubtedly grateful to be rescued from danger.
Finding Happy Homes
Brigette brought all six Guinea pigs home and provided food and treats.
Thanks to her wide network, she quickly found loving homes for each one.
Her social media post about the unusual rescue drew significant attention from 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 is the luck that it happened to be me that ran past these little gals?” she wrote.
Since Guinea pigs are social animals, Brigette arranged adoptions 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 wrote in her updated post.
These rescued Guinea pigs are now expected to enjoy happy lives with their new families.