Kirkby woman passionate about guinea pigs launches rescue service

Amy Wall, from Kirkby, launched ‘The Piggy Palaces’ with Worksop friends, Rebecca Pritchard and Rebecca’s mum, Sue Priestly.

In February, Amy formed a partnership with Rebecca after the Worksop woman adopted two guinea pigs from her.

Amy had been caring for the animals in her spare time under the name ‘Amy’s Guinea Pig Rescue’.

The two quickly became friends, and with the support of Rebecca’s mum, Sue, they established 'The Piggy Palaces'.

Amy is a dog groomer in Kirkby, using her earnings to support the rescue.

She said: “I have always had a love for all animals.

“I wanted to create a safe place for their piggies to be rehomed or spend the rest of their days with me.”

Amy said that since launching the rescue, the women have rescued and rehomed many ‘piggies’ – including 12 from a breeding mill, many of which are due to have babies any day now.

She added: “We really want to become an official charity and to help regulations and laws around the conditions on breeding mills that supply large pet shops across the country.”

Kilner's Kreations, a small business that creates pet-themed items, manages the rescue's signs, leaflets, and potentially producing merchandise in the future.

Dandelion Wishes, a business that creates handmade jewellery, has designed guinea pig earrings, with 50% of the proceeds going to the rescue.

Amy said that she had to reduce her work hours due to health issues, which impacted regular funds.

She thanked the community for their help through donations and raffles to keep the rescue open and operational.

Amy said Pawsome Vets in Sutton had been incredible over the years.

She thanked Maria Kirkham for her support in fostering male guinea pigs and raising funds for the rescue.

She also expressed gratitude to Kimberly Tucker, who runs the Extra Care Baby Bank and helps by fostering males to assist Amy with an influx of guinea pigs.

Anyone interested in supporting the service or looking to adopt or rehome a guinea pig can email [email protected] (same email used for PayPal) or call 07807715308.