Alittlebitiffy Animal Sanctuary

About the shelter

There are tons of animal rescues in Australia for dogs and cats, so Alittlebitiffy Animal Sanctuary does something a bit different. The main animals being rescued here? Guinea pigs!

Alittlebitiffy Animal Sanctuary was founded in 2013 by husband and wife team, Graham and Iffy. They created the sanctuary after noticing that small animals like guinea pigs were often overlooked, or improperly cared for at other rescues. There was such a focus on the large animals, dogs, and cats that tiny creatures simply weren’t getting the care they needed—Graham and Iffy wanted to change that. Both having degrees in animal science fields and years of experience rehabilitating animals, they knew they could create the perfect haven for these little creatures.

Though originally located in North Queensland, the Sanctuary relocated in 2016 to South East Queensland, and is currently operating out of Lockyer Valley. Today, it works closely with the University of Queensland School of Veterinary Science, giving veterinary students the hands-on opportunity to learn about care, diagnosis, and handling of guinea pigs.

Not only does Alittlebitiffy Animal Sanctuary save, rehabilitate, and rehome guinea pigs, they also offer services for your guinea pig! If you’re going on vacation and have no one to watch your precious pets, you can send your piggies to them for boarding! They’ll get expert care and cuddles. Alittlebitiffy Animal Sanctuary can also pamper your pet, providing services including nail and spur trimming and care, brushing, and inspection for basic skin and fur issues. Plus, if you’re a first-time guinea pig owner, the sanctuary has an in-depth guinea pig care guide that will help you make sure your pet is properly cared for!

Mission

• Alittlebitiffy Animal Shelter has a two-fold mission: first, they aim to save, rehabilitate, and rehome as many guinea pigs as possible, and second: they want to educate the community on proper guinea pig care in order to eradicate incorrect information spread by word of mouth and pet stores.
• Through these efforts, the centre hopes to spread awareness about the importance of proper health care, diet, and housing for guinea pigs, and the negative impact of improper breeding.

How you can help

Alittlebitiffy Animal Sanctuary is a registered not-for-profit, and receives no government funding. All the funds come from community donations which cover food, housing, and the costs of veterinary care for the animals. You can donate to Alittlebitiffy Animal Sanctuary directly or become a regular sponsor through a monthly donation!

You can also donate your time by becoming a guinea pig foster carer! Alittlebitiffy Animal Sanctuary outlines their requirements for foster carers on their website. One important thing to note is that you shouldn’t be a foster carer for these animals if you have dogs, cats, or small children. Guinea pigs are naturally timid, and many of the rescued animals are even more easily frightened, so they would need a quiet, calm environment to thrive.