WATCH ABOVE: Lola Bourget started an unusual enterprise with her daughter 13 years ago from their home on the West Island. Since then Jodie’s Jiggley Piggley Farm has rescued more than 1,000 guinea pigs. Billy Shields has more.
POINTE-CLAIRE – Kevin Nasimok had a dilemma on his hands.
One of the two beloved guinea pigs in his household died recently, leaving his children heartbroken.
Because guinea pigs tend to be social animals, experts also say they should be kept in pairs, leading Nasimok to the doorstep of Lola Bourget — who has run a shelter specializing in finding homes for the fuzzy rodents.
“We’ve seen some pretty awful cruelty cases,” Bourget said from her basement garage, where she houses around two dozen guinea pigs.
“We’ve seen a few guinea pigs left in those charity bins for clothing, a few left in cars at a wrecking yard.”
She started her unusual enterprise with her daughter, Jodie Couture, 13 years ago from their home in Beaconsfield.
Since then the shelter dubbed ‘Jodie’s Jiggley Piggley Farm‘ has rescued more than 1,000 of the critters.
She started out breeding guinea pigs with her daughter.
“We noticed that when we’d sell the babies, they’d be returned to us within several months. So my daughter said ‘maybe we could rescue some.'”
Bourget works in education, and operates the shelter on the side.
Though she loves doing it, she concedes it takes a special kind of person to handle the long-term responsibilities — that’s why she set up the garage.
“I don’t want guinea pigs all over the house,” she said.
“I don’t want to cross that line into ‘weird animal person.'”
Her partner, Kim Strong, met her 7 years ago, and said he had no idea what he was getting into.
He stays as far away from the four-legged balls of fuzz as he can, he said.
“If you’re going to have a partner that does this kind of work, you’re going to have to accept it, for sure,” he said.
“There have been a few moments — sometimes we’d have like wood shavings and straw everywhere. You can vacuum a house every day and still have stuff to pick up.”
Bourget said that she only keeps one or two guinea pigs — both of whom she rescued — as her own pets.
WATCH: A family’s mission to save abandoned guinea pigs
Social media has allowed her to expand awareness and fundraising efforts, she said.
After posting a photo on Facebook of a guinea pig who came in with a severe a mange problem, she said she received three unsolicited donations from people in the United States who saw the picture.
It’s also how Kevin Nasimok found Bourget’s shelter.
“My wife did a little research after we lost our guinea pig, and found this and thought it was great,” he said as he was picking up an adoptee he named ‘Mushu.’
“We had two, one died. The kids want a second one so we’re adopting. They’re great, great pets.”
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