Blind Guinea Pig Rehomed - Thanks To Heart!

A blind guinea pig dumped on a wheelie bin in Southampton has been re-homed with a loving family after they heard her story on Heart.

Sarah Johnson, a veterinary nurse in Bournemouth, adopted Beattie the guinea pig after hearing how she had been left in a card board box, on top of a rubbish bin on Radcliffe Road, Southampton, in November.

When found, Beattie had a shrunken eye. She was blind in one eye and had very little vision in the other.

Beattie had been taken to the RSPCA Ashley Heath Animal Centre near Ringwood where she was given her name by staff at the animal centre, chosen because she was found in a box which previously contained a BT telephone and answer machine.

Sarah rang the animal centre after hearing Beattie's story on Heart, and wanted to offer her a home.

Sarah said:

"There was a lot of interest in Beattie because of the press coverage. I called off my own back early, as it said on the Heart website she wasn't ready for re-homing yet. But, when I rang, they said she was in fact ready and I could go in and speak to them that day." 

Sarah, who adopted Beattie on 11, December, said:

"When we first took Beattie home she was a very quiet creature and stayed still a lot of the time.

"Since then, she has become far more active and runs round the house and kitchen. She doesn't go outside but she is very comfortable in the house and has fitted in the family perfectly."

Unfortunately, Beattie's blindness is permanent. However, she has a good quality of life, and if she does have any health problems in the future, she is in the safest hands, as Ben, Sarah's husband is a vet, and Sarah is a veterinary nurse, working at vet surgery The Pet Practice in Wallisdown.

Sarah said:

"Though she is blind, she knows when we come home because she can smell us, and always squeaks excitedly. She squeaks when she smells our other pets too, and when we feed her. She has doubled in size since we got her and looks far healthier."

Heart's delighted we could help, and we're very happy Beattie's found a loving new home!