Adoption Policy and Information

We serve the Washington DC-MD-northern VA areas within 2 hour driving distance (one-way) from our adoption meet location. We will consider areas in other states if within a 2 hour driving distance (one-way) from our meet location. Our adoption meets are in central MD located between Baltimore, Washington, and Frederick County, MD. We reserve the right to decide whether you are within a reasonable driving distance.   Please contact us for more information.

  1. Before applying, review the page about appropriate CAGES (click here) . It is very important to us that your guinea pig has a proper size cage!
  2. We do NOT SHIP guinea pigs.We serve the Washington DC-MD-northern VA areas within 2 hour driving distance (one-way) from our adoption meet location. We will consider areas in other states if within a 2 hour driving distance (one-way) from our meet location. Our adoption meets are in central MD located between Baltimore, Washington, and Frederick County, MD. We reserve the right to decide whether you are within a reasonable driving distance. You must be able to come to us for the adoption.
  3. We do NOT ADOPT to minors. Heads-of-household only can apply to adopt. Please do not apply to adopt if you are a minor living with your parents.
  4. We do NOT ADOPT to people who have other pets living outdoors (with the exception of horses and other farm animals).
  5. Review important guinea pig DIET information: What to Feed Your Guinea Pig.
  6. We have a "pairs policy". If you own a guinea pig, we are happy to help you find a compatible friend amongst ours. If you don't own a guinea pig, you may adopt a bonded pair or create a pair from our single guinea pigs. When you don't already own a guinea pig, we highly recommend adopting one of our bonded pairs - that way you know you have a pair that gets along, and won't run the risk of them not getting along once you get them home.

For for information on how the adoption process and what to expect, read our adoption process page

Fostering Information

Have you ever wanted to personally get involved in the rescue of guinea pigs? We are always in need of good, loving homes to temporarily house guinea pigs until they are adopted.

As a foster parent, you are responsible for:

  • Daily care of your foster, including socialization through lap time and other direct interaction
  • Weighing your foster weekly and reporting the weight to MGPR (MGPR provides the scale)
  • Attending our adoption meets, which we hold once per month. If your foster is adopted, MGPR would send you home with another guinea pig to foster, and if not, MGPR typically has you take your foster home again until the next meet
  • Monitoring your foster and reporting any signs of illness or abnormal behavior
  • Getting board approval before taking your foster to the vet
  • Getting board approval before committing or accepting anything on behalf of MGPR. Do not take in or commit MGPR to taking in unwanted and/or sick guinea pigs
  • Notifying the MGPR board if you are no longer able to foster and arranging transport to return your foster to MGPR (the board will inform you where you need to transport your foster and to who to hand over your foster)

You must be able to foster for a year and bring the guinea pig you foster to the adoption meet we host one time per month in central MD (located between Baltimore, Washington, and Frederick County, MD). Fostering is not means to try out a guinea pig before adopting.

MGPR pays for all vet care your foster pig(s). We even provide the cage! If you have guinea pigs of your own, you can purchase bedding and food supplies from us at our cost.