Although, sometimes, at first, it seems that people have good intentions and want to adopt an animal to fill its days with happiness and love, this is often not the case.
Unfortunately, it is not rare that they, through animals, actually fulfill only some of their needs and urges, and when they get bored with their pets, they just throw them out on the street.
This is exactly what happens during the difficult times when people adopted pets en masse, often just to make them less bored.
This was especially the case with one guinea pig in New York. Unfortunately, when the pandemic ended, many such animals ended up in shelters, or worse, on the streets.
Nevertheless, people with true love for every animal showed their big hearts in those moments. Among them was the heroine of today’s story, Julie Turner, who immediately knew what to do when she saw such an animal on the other side of the street.
She Couldn’t Just Leave Him There
Julie Turner is a proven animal lover and a woman who wouldn’t just leave her pets. Since she has a little Shih Tzu named Mabel, at home, Julie knows well what a loving family and a warm home mean to every animal.
For that very reason, she couldn’t remain indifferent to the little curled-up guinea pig struggling to survive on that cold January day.
She noticed him on the other side of the road while she was driving around her New York neighborhood.
When she approached him, she realized that this guinea pig was very frightened.
“I was heartbroken,” Turner told The Dodo. “I knew that little guy was probably struggling to find warmth and food. I couldn’t understand why someone would just leave their own pet to fend for themself like that.”
On the same day, she tried to attract him with hamster treats and get the job done quickly. Unfortunately, it didn’t work…
“I couldn’t leave him,” Turner wrote in a post on TikTok.
That is why she decided to seek professional help and call a local animal rescue specialist. Although they were unable to do anything that day, they found him at that location the next day and rescued him using a drop trap.
Rufus, as Julie named this little guinea pig, was finally safe.
Better Days Were Ahead Of Him
Although Rufus was abandoned, and therefore, betrayed by the people, it was obvious that he had not lost his faith in humans despite everything.
Little by little, he became more and more relaxed in the warm and safe home, and the many snacks that his rescuer showered him with made it even easier.
“I went to the supermarket and got him all sorts of greens and other vegetables as well as guinea pig food and alfalfa,” Turner said. “I filled his cage and he ate so much! I was shocked to see how much food he could consume in such a short time, but I’m sure he was very hungry.”
However, when he showed his affectionate side and fell into Julie’s arms to snuggle without a problem, she knew his recovery was complete.
Only one thing was missing, and that was a forever home and a foster parent who would treat Rufus as a true member of the family.
Turner looked to a small animal rescuer named Melissa. When Melissa came to pick him up, the pair had an instant, unexpected connection. The two clicked at first, and it was clear that they would be inseparable.
Rufus, once a sadly abandoned pig who wandered the sidewalks in search of food, has now become a full-fledged member of the loving family.
And, the person who adopted him certainly didn’t do it because of some selfish whims, but because of the immense love in her heart, which was just what he needed.