Boston is considering a change to its animal welfare ordinance to now include guinea pigs. Lawmakers propose this update in response to pet stores repeatedly selling guinea pigs, leading to an overpopulation at animal shelters. In recent years, shelters have been inundated with guinea pigs, a situation exacerbated since the sales of dogs, cats, and rabbits were regulated in 2016. This overpopulation issue was highlighted by the MSPCA and other animal welfare groups, who are now pushing for guinea pigs to be added to the ordinance to combat this problem and help find these animals homes, as reported by NBC Boston.
The ordinance was officially put forward by Councilor Liz Breadon in March and is designed to prevent pet shops in Boston from selling guinea pigs. The initiative was triggered by a rise in guinea pig surrenders at shelters after the COVID-19 pandemic, when the rates of guinea pig adoption and subsequent relinquishment increased. This issue has been particularly significant due to the influx of guinea pigs from large-scale commercial breeders, as detailed in reporting by The Boston Herald.
In her proposal, Breadon emphasizes the connection between guinea pig surrenders and breeding facilities. She insists that amending the ordinance would, thereby, improve animal welfare. The city's Animal Care and Control has reported a dramatic rise in guinea pig surrenders year over year. Simultaneously, Boston 311 has noted an increase in related cases over the last two years. The Committee on Government Operations is now considering the amendment, with Breadon asserting, “Amending the City of Boston Code, Ordinances, for the inclusion of guinea pigs in prohibited pet shop sales would improve animal welfare by helping to address the rising scale of small pet surrenders," as mentioned by The Boston Herald.
