49 guinea pigs "in tough shape" rescued from wooded area in Dracut
DRACUT - Dracut Police are looking for the person responsible for dumping nearly 50 guinea pigs in a wooded area behind a local restaurant. The animals were found huddled together hungry, thirsty and in some cases, with infections.
"I just started picking them up and they didn't even run away," said Dracut Animal Control Officer Colleen Morse. "I just want people to know that there are resources out there. It didn't have to come to this."
Officer Morse says a man was magnet fishing in the stream behind Owen and Ollie's restaurant. He walked back along the water way to get to his car in the parking lot. It's there that he spotted something white moving around in the brush. He walked up to discover the herd of guinea pigs.
"He thought they were hamsters, eight to 10 of them," Officer Morse said. "Sure enough, there were 49 guinea pigs and they were in tough shape. Right now, we are just getting started into the investigation."
Rescued guinea pigs in "good hands"
The animals are at the Lowell Humane Society where they are being nursed back to health. The work will be costly as there are a large number of animals, and some have eye and feet infections.
"It's going to be a little bit. They are in good hands with Lowell Humane," Officer Morse said while holding an injured guinea pig.
The person responsible for the dumping could face charges of animal cruelty and abandonment.