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Good For Switzerland

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CAROL-ANNE

CAROL-ANNE

Junior Guinea Pig
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It's against the law to only have ONE guinea pig even if one dies they have a rent a pig system so that u r not breaking the law.
 
Yes I heard that. What about the odd piggies who cannot live with others though? Little Megan who is sadly no longer here had to live alone due to her special needs.
 
The law pertains only to the sale/rehoming of single guinea pigs; that's where the rent-a-pig comes into play for bereaved piggies. Guinea pigs with special needs that can't be bonded will stay at a rescue. It has become quite a success story both in Switzerland and in Germany, but it is mostly breeders who have jumped into the gap, as rescues are not allowed to rehome a single piggy, not even as a companion to a bereaved one.
It is a pioneering law, but it has unfortunately some major drawbacks!
 
Don't know the in's and out's of it but really like the ideology of it.
 
Despite the misgivings for some details, I did vote for the new ground breaking animal protection law when it was up for the people's vote (as we have a more direct democracy in Switzerland).
 
Sounds like a major step in the right direction despite any present flaws. At least a whole country is acknowledging that it is cruelty to have piggies living alone. Wish we had that here! We do have a movement afoot though to ban ANY animal sales during the Xmas period. Too many pets being bought as Xmas pressies in December & then dumped as unwanted 6 months later.
 
So if you are left with one bereaved pig, you are breaking the law if you keep it? That does not sound right. Are lots of bereaved pigs either put to sleep or surrendered to a rescue?
 
Wiebke said:
The law pertains only to the sale/rehoming of single guinea pigs; that's where the rent-a-pig comes into play for bereaved piggies. Guinea pigs with special needs that can't be bonded will stay at a rescue. It has become quite a success story both in Switzerland and in Germany, but it is mostly breeders who have jumped into the gap, as rescues are not allowed to rehome a single piggy, not even as a companion to a bereaved one.
It is a pioneering law, but it has unfortunately some major drawbacks!
Click to expand...

I suppose there are loopholes such as placing your piggy with the rescue while he/she is bonded then take the pair for adoption.
 
No, bereaved piggies are just kept! ;) You won't be prosecuted for ending up with a single piggy, just for the sale or rehoming of a single piggy. And you are always free to buy or rehome a duo to go with your bereaved piggy, by the way!

The rent-a-pig is using a loophole in the law as the "rented" piggy technically stays in the possession of the renting person, so is from a legal point not rehomed or sold.

To be honest, the idea has taken on so much because there are many people who want to give their bereaved piggies a good life without continuing the chain; it may even be something that British rescues could look at and offer as a service - it is pretty much just an extension of the dating service they are already offering!

Each rented piggy is only paired up twice before staying at the owners as a permanent resident (at least with the Swiss lady who came up with the concept originally) - unless the renters have fallen in love and are looking for a friend for the rented piggy, which seems to happen not at all that rarely!
 
Thanks for the clarification Wiebke! That actually sounds really sensible.
 
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