Rescue Renaming Pigs Given To Them

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PiggyOinkOink

PiggyOinkOink

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My friend gave 4 piggies to Animal Lifeline rescue as he was immigrating to Spain and could not take them with him. He (and I) were very upset and angry that the rehoming woman, Christine, did not leave them with their given names but instead gave them new (stupid) ones! They are used to being called those names so I don't understand why a rescue would do such a thing?

Is this a normal thing with animals given to rescues? I understand they are the rescue's pets now but it's quite insensitive considering my friend really loved them and cried when he gave them away there, only to now see on their webpage that they have been given (stupid) new names! There was actually stories behind why some of them were given names, such as Beli (beautiful) because she was born with one eye that appeared deformed (but cleared up) so my friend chose to keep her as he felt sorry for her and called her that.

I said she might have forgotten their names but he said she rang him another time to ask their ages and recalled their names perfectly.

I have been told she changed the names from:

Kali (meaning black in Hindi) to Black Beauty (How cheesy!)
Snowy to The Milky Bar Kid (How stupid!)
Ginger to Barney (sounds dumb - how stupid!)
I can't remember what Beli was changed to but it was also something stupid lol

Surely places like Battersea and others don't change the names of their dogs/cats from what they were already called?
 
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Not sure. When I took Digger from a rescue, they told me not to change his name as guinea pigs knows their name and changing it would confuse them. So stuck with Digger. Not sure how true it is though but thought no harm in not changing his name.
 
I was told I could rename if I wanted to. Sometimes rescues change names as they have already had/currently have an animal in their care with that name - imagine if, when you try to remember Treacle, you have to think 'which one? There were 20 Treacles!' It helps the rescues remember each one individually. As for your friend's names, Kali and Beli do sound unique so would perhaps have had no reason - has your friend asked why they were renamed?
 
I have no idea but I do know when my guinea pig Corey was taken to a rescue after he and Romano didn't get on that they kept his name as Corey as I checked on his profile.
 
Some rescues have a consequent renaming policy, others will keep the name of an ex-pet. The vast majority of surrendered guinea pigs are no longer wanted or come from a bad background, so giving them a new name is giving the piggies a clean slate and a new start.

It is also there to prevent previous owners from being able to track their piggies via their names and harass/contact any new owners if the surrender has not happened voluntarily; not every new owner wants to hear from the previous one, either. Rescues with a strict renaming policy have often made bad experiences with nasty threats or actual harassment in that area along the way and want to protect rehomed piggies and their new owners.
Rescues often give whimsical or themed rescue names, so the names at the rescue don't repeat and new owners are more free to change them to their own wishes. I have so far rehomed a Pine and Fir (now Nesta and Hafren), Carron (Caron), Chapati (Terfel), Cinder Toffee and Dolly Mixture (Tesni and Ffwlbri) and Bedo was christenend Foxy by the rescue after he was found dumped. Pili Pala and Papi were Poppet and Roxana.
Hywel's first owner's name on the other hand was Randie, and both the rescue lady and I were quite happy to change that! Tanni's breeder name was Pudding - and about as unsuitable for her personality as possible.

Many new owners will also rename their adopted piggies, anyway. Like your friend is experiencing, the naming of a pet is an integral part of ownership.

I am very sorry for your friend; that this is bringing home her loss to her.
 
Yes I was wondering if they did this due to problems in the past and to give the pets a new start in life. I guess it's just part of the attachment my friend has for them as he didn't have any other choice but to give them away. I'm just glad that they went to a rescue and not to Gumtree or some other unregulated place where he was initially trying but (fortunately) proved unreliable.
 
My Alfie was called Stevie, we changed his name as we have a nephew called Stevie! :))
 
Must admit I generally keep the names they come with though.
 
As long as the rescue is providing good care, and will find them an excellent forever home, then what they choose to call them really should be of no consequence. Often new owners will like to choose a name for them anyway, so I really don't see this as an issue.
 
When I adopted Bailey and Logan I changed their names. I'm pretty sure one of them was called Tosh before I got them.

I don't think changing or keeping their names is a bad thing. They're starting a new chapter in their lives so that's why I imagine many owners change their names.
 
Yes, I have renamed the boys that I adopted from my son's school partly to fit their names in with our naming theme and partly because one had the same name as my uncle and the other the same name as my sons's hamster and that would get too confusing!
@helen105281 I think the name Slugsie is from Fifi and The Flowert0ts, my daughter is a fan of that show too!
 
That makes sense, she was about the right age too. It was a bit confusing when we had Barney as we later adopted Barley so we used to refer to them as Lee and Nee. I still do it now even though Nee is no longer with us :(
 
I used to have an old dog called Barney, he was barking mad if you excuse the pun! :))
 
I must admit I find it more than a tad harsh to keep saying how stupid you feel the names the rescue has chosen are. OK you and your friend might not agree with the practice but as people have pointed out, sometimes a rescue does this out of policy to protect the animals and their new owners.
 
I changed the names of my adopted guinea pigs and it was a friend that passed them to me. I named them from Tiny to Sadie. And Burrows to Bunty. I wanted to give them more feminine names.
 
new owners regularly change names, so i don't see why a rescue shouldn't. i'm sure they wouldn't have if specifically asked not to.

what you find stupid, others may like! especially barney. that's lovely and very popular :love:
 
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