Toni D
Junior Guinea Pig
Sally was taken in by the rescue after having had untreated mites for a long time. She had scratched herself until she was mostly bare with weeping wounds and oozing scabs. It was all just surface deep but for the sake of simple mite treatment she could have been saved a lot of suffering. Sally was such a sweet girl and pretty too. My son was only about 7yrs old and fell in love with Sally instantly. She was about 4yrs old when I got her so not so young. Unfortunately, she caught a respiratory infection about 1 year later which got the better of her despite the necessary medication. My son and I nursed her/syringe fed her and did what we could (all under the guidance of the rescue and Cambridge Cavy Trust). When she started rasping and groaning we rushed her to the rescue to see if anything more could be done (the rescue was far more knowledgeable than the vet). Nothing could be done and poor Sally was suffering; it was kinder to have her euthanized than let her die in pain. My son was hysterical and told me I could NOT KILL Sally. I told him it was for the best but at 7 he could not accept or understand. When I stopped the car he bolted off with Sally in her travel box and disappeared into the fields. I could not catch him and poor Sally would have got jolted in her box 
I sat on a bench and my son eventually joined me. Sally passed away shortly afterwards as we sat there discussing taking her to the vets. Back at home my son got a shoe box and placed Sally in it, on his folded t-shirt, with some flowers from the garden and a lock of his hair (goodness knows where he got his ideas from). The next day we drove about 50 miles to the nearest place that the vet said would cremate Sally individually (they cremated horses? so I am not sure why he sent us there). We were told she would be cremated two days later. THEN, more saga, the following day my son went into a frenzy saying he wanted to see Sally before she was burned. I refused flatly saying it was too far away but he ran to his Grandparents obviously very upset - his Granddad caved in and took him to say goodbye to Sally for the last time. The crematorium were very helpful and understanding. Sally's ashes stayed in my son's room for a while and when the time felt right they were scattered on the flowerbed next to the Piggy Shed. My son never got involved with any other piggies. Sally was his first and only piggy love. He is now 22 and doesn't know I am telling this story. I've attached a photo of each side of Sally because each side looks different. RIP Darling Sally.
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I sat on a bench and my son eventually joined me. Sally passed away shortly afterwards as we sat there discussing taking her to the vets. Back at home my son got a shoe box and placed Sally in it, on his folded t-shirt, with some flowers from the garden and a lock of his hair (goodness knows where he got his ideas from). The next day we drove about 50 miles to the nearest place that the vet said would cremate Sally individually (they cremated horses? so I am not sure why he sent us there). We were told she would be cremated two days later. THEN, more saga, the following day my son went into a frenzy saying he wanted to see Sally before she was burned. I refused flatly saying it was too far away but he ran to his Grandparents obviously very upset - his Granddad caved in and took him to say goodbye to Sally for the last time. The crematorium were very helpful and understanding. Sally's ashes stayed in my son's room for a while and when the time felt right they were scattered on the flowerbed next to the Piggy Shed. My son never got involved with any other piggies. Sally was his first and only piggy love. He is now 22 and doesn't know I am telling this story. I've attached a photo of each side of Sally because each side looks different. RIP Darling Sally. .
How lovely that she knew some love before she passed x