We think a dog got our guinea pigs :'(

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Our guinea pigs are free range in the backyard. Usually we keep an eye on them but I was at school and my parents were not in the house for a little while. When they came back, three out of four piggies were missing and a dog was hanging around the house 8...

We have never seen this dog before and don't know who owns it. It's confusing because only three are missing, one is left, there are no signs of an attack, and it seems amazing that a medium sized dog (however it was a beagle which I have been told are trained as 'ratters') could kill three guinea pigs, especially in a short space of time! There are lots of bushes and I would have though they could get away and/or go into their hutch! We thought they might have run away and would come back but they are still missing :(

I feel like such a terrible owner and can't believe my poor guinea pigs have had to go through this 8... I cried for ages and now I'm just so confused as to what happened, and I feel so terrible. The poor little things, and poor little Patch left behind :(

I thought they would be OK and can't believe this has happened. I'm really not liking myself right now. I thought we were giving them a loving, caring home but now this has happened. I think the worst has happened - it doesn't look like they are coming back and have probably been killed. Sorry to tell you such terrible news. I can't believe I have been so STUPID. I'm never letting guinea pigs run around unprotected again! I'm such an IDIOT.

8...8...8...8...
 
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I am so sorry that you are going through this. I am so so sorry :0 How long have the piggies been missing for? They may have just ran away and are hiding out somewhere.
Whatever the outcome, it was an accident and you are NOT to blame. Give your remaining piggy lots and lots of cuddles and attention as he will be at a loss too and god forbid, if your piggies were taken, you don't know what his little eyes saw.
Thinking of you and sending lots of (((hugs))) your way xxxxxx
 
They have been missing since about 3:30 today I think, so that is 3 and a half hours. I have looked all around the house and surrounding area, and can't find anything. I just feel so awful because I shouldn't have let them have free range of the backyard. I thought it was best but obviously not :( 8...
 
I now have the remaining girl, Patch inside in a box next to me. She has a little box to hide in, hay, a hot water bottle (wrapped in layers of cloth), grain food, vegies and water. Amazingly, she seems very happy and is eating away, not hiding like I would have expected. The hutch outside is open so that if, by some very slim chance, Ginger, Aspen and Amber are still with us, they can go back in. There is food and water in there. I just pray that they are still OK, but my hopes are not high 8...Also, it's cold outside so even if they are just hiding somewhere they probably won't be warm enough. 8...8...This is horrible :(
 
oh no! Please don't beat yourself up about it, it isnt your fault. did the dog have any signs that it attacked them? like blood on its mouth? hopefully there hiding
 
I'm such an irresponsible pet owner though! But they just seemed so happy running around outside. I only managed to get about 10 metres away from the dog before it ran away (this was later on. It returned) but I couldn't see any blood or anything. Stupid crappy dog owners. They should keep their pet off our property! We have other problems with dogs too. They tip the rubbish bins over. It's not the dog's fault. It's a wild animal, but I am still so angry, mainly at myself :(
 
Sometimes it takes something like this to realise how you can change and improve, progress along in your journey as a piggie owner. I'm sorry you have had to go through this.
 
I am so sorry! What a nightmare!

We lost guinea pigs to a neighbour's terrier that had burrowed under the fence when I was a teenager. The pigs had been in a run with a solid top, but he had somehow managed to wiggle underneath in a corner.

He had flung my boy over the garden wall and we didn't find him until two days later (thankfully with a broken neck, so he can't have suffered long) and was carrying my sister's girl in his mouth when she came across him...

I'm keeping ALL my fingers crossed for you!
 
awww this is so wrong i understand what you are feeling, although i only lost little Pepsi due to my bull terrier being let into the piggy room by my 3 year old daughter at least i got to sit with my baby for his last 30 secs of life and i thank god i got that8..., i hope with all of my heart that Ginger,Aspen & Amber are just hiding in the bushes waiting for there mummy to collect them all our love and hope to you at this very difficult timexx>>>xx>>>xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>>>xx>>>
 
Oh that is horrible, I am soo sorry to hear. 8...
I hope they are all right. Or if they have died then RIP to them.
But the little remaining one now needs to be protected with a run or something from now on:)
 
What an awful thing to have happened, i am so sorry for you. I do hope that the piggies are hiding & they come back x
 
OMG how terrible for you 8...8...8...8...
I hope that the little ones have come back during the night for food and warmth, all paws crossed by us xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
HUGE HUGS for you love you must be feeling so upset :(
 
I truely hope they are just hidden. :( Its like CCC4 explained, maybe this is a learning experiance to help improve the lives of you guinea pigs. I'm very sorry to hear about this though. :( *hugs*
 
They haven't returned 8... I can't believe this has happened. I keep thinking about it and crying again. I just feel so awful for not being more careful. The dog was here again today, sniffing around the cage. Patch, the remaining piggie, is inside. Luckily, we are keeping relatives' two female guinea pigs here soon, so Patch will have company until we find a new buddy for her. Don't worry, they will not be allowed to run around unprotected. I can't imagine any piggie taking the places of Ginger, Aspen and Amber, but I have to think of poor little Patch. I can't believe she's had to go through this 8...
 
I'm so sorry for you! It's such a shock! I cried for hours when the same happened to my very first own boy!

Give all your love to Patch. And no, no new guinea pig can replace one that's gone. In time, they will make their very own little space in your heart ...

Make sure that you have at least 8 inch long metal spikes that secure your new run to the ground so that it can't be pulled up by dogs or cats as well as a solid cover.
 
I've been thinking about what sort of arrangement I should set up now. I'm thinking:

(By the way, I would LOVE to have them inside but I'm not allowed to :( )

-Their hutch, or another cage we have that has a small run attached.

-Run set up under/around the trampoline (15 feet in diameter). They wouldn't go in there if someone was using the trampoline, of course! It would provide protection, shade and lots of space. There is grass there too.

-C & C cubes that can be set up on the lawn when we want to play with them/want to give them a change of scenery!

I'm so cut that this has happened, but I'm going to do my best to provide future piggies with the best life possible :)
 
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Same here!11

Just make sure they are never out roaming without supervision. I let mine roam free in the garden while I'm around gardening, but they have to go back in the run otherwise.
 
Yes, that was the plan, to let them run around in the garden while we can see them, but I guess we just became complacent. It's not an excuse, but it's an explanation. Thanks for the support everyone xoxoxoxoxoxo
 
You'll take care - you've been through the mill. I'm sure it *** never happen again.

The frightening thing is that it can happen so quickly!

Big hug and lots of love for you!

Vicky xxxxxxxxx
 
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Yes, VERY quickly. I just don't understand how one dog could kill/scare away three guinea pigs within an hour, when there were HEAPS of places they could have hidden. And I don't understand how one could be left. It just makes little sense. It was so quick :( I hope they didn't suffer too much at least 8...
 
Hope things turn out good for you and they return i would have thought that the last one would have ran away with the group, i really hope they return soon, Keep in touch and let us know how things are going x
 
Still no sign of them. I'm not expecting them to come back now. I miss them so much 8...
 
Poor little Patch. We've had her in a box inside for the last couple of days. She's really enjoyed having a hot water bottle. I set up a run for her in the loungeroom tonight and she made a few happy sounds, but a few unhappy sounds too. At least it's something. I wonder if she misses them? I wonder if she was looking for them when she was wandering around? When I think about it I get upset again - I broke down at school the other day. The guinea pigs' deaths combined with the stress of school along with everything else just got to me. Sorry, I'm not meaning to complain. I just want people to know how horrible this is so that no one makes the same stupid mistake that we did. R.I.P Ginger, Amber and Aspen 8...
 
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