Paul's story
Paul came from a hoarding situation, and had a permanent head tilt and one eye was smaller than the other. Possibly from birth, as the piggies (30 + all the babies born soon after) were inbred, or possibly caused by damage later on. He came into AGPR's care very shy and not wanting any interaction, nipping anyone who tried to put their hand in his cage for any reason. With LOTS of love and patience, he become one of the most outgoing and friendly little ambassador piggies we have ever had. He was a favorite among everyone who met him, and his head tilt was one of his most endearing qualities. He was with the rescue over a year. He required some vet visits, as all the hoarding piggies did, and of course all the food, hay, veggies, and bedding. Adding up his care it far surpassed the $25 adoption fee, but he was worth every penny. Every bit donated to the rescue makes a difference and helps make success stories like this possible!
Since writing up this story for our site, we received some heartbreaking news: Paul passed away in August 2015 following complications from a surgical procedure. His health issues put him at risk for so many conditions, and also made surgery so much riskier. We were, however, relieved that Paul lived the last few months of his life being spoiled rotten by his adoptive mom. Here are a few words from Paul's foster mom, which sum up perfectly how we all feel about Paul at Austin Guinea Pig Rescue:
R.I.P., little buddy. You were very loved and are very missed. You brought so much joy to so many people, many of whom had never met a guinea pig before. What a great little ambassador you were! You came from horrible conditions and blossomed into the most outgoing, full-of-personality piggy I have fostered.
