Guinea Pig Adoption Promotion

Bring Home a Guinea Pig: Adoption Costs Waived!

Everyone knows that life is better with a pet and no matter how big or small, the best place for any one of our animals is in the comforts of a safe and loving forever home.

Despite their small size, Guinea Pigs are just as loving as any other pet. So, to help them find the homes they deserve, from 2-4 August each of our Guinea Pigs will be available for $0.  

The goal is to rehome as many guinea pigs as possible over the three-day adoption drive. With length of stay increasing, it’s imperative that we find homes (the right homes) for the hundreds of animals we have currently have available for adoption.

Although adoption costs are waived, normal adoption procedures will apply to ensure every animal is matched with the right family. This includes one-on-one meetings with prospective adoptive parents and future fur-siblings.

We hope that by gifting these initial fees back to you, they can instead go towards ensuring the best life for you and your new pet.

Those available for adoption can be found via the link below:
https://rspcansw.org/3LJ68dg 

Terms & Conditions

* Offer valid only at RSPCA NSW shelters and adoption centres. Adoptions through BARC, Central Coast are via appointment only. Normal adoption procedures apply. This ensures each animal is matched with the perfect forever home. This adoption promotion is NOT valid at Petbarn stores or RSPCA NSW Branches. 

** The waived adoption costs are available from Friday August 2nd to Sunday August 4th only and there are no rainchecks. RSPCA NSW cannot put a hold on our animals, as this could prevent them from going to their forever homes sooner. Unfortunately, we are unable to extend the discounted adoption price outside of the set dates listed above. 

Frequently Asked Questions

I’m interested in adopting; how can I see the animals available?  

Thank you for your interest in adopting! The best way to find out about the animals which are available for adoption in our locations is by visiting our website:

www.rspcansw.org.au/adopt/

This page shows all the animals available for adoption across the state and includes information about their location, personality, behaviour and interests. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us on (02) 9770 7555.

The Guinea Pigs whose adoption costs are waived can be view here. 

Why have you waived adoption fees?  

Offering a discount, or in this case waiving the adoption costs, is a great incentive to bring more adopters into RSPCA NSW’s shelters to meet our fantastic residents. We know that by offering these promotions, we encourage people to give a loving home to one (or two!) of our amazing animals. It’s important to remember that normal adoption procedures still apply, so even though the adoption fee is waived, the same time and effort goes into matching each animal to the right family.

Why isn’t the price like this all the time? Don’t you want animals to be adopted?

We would love to keep our adoption fees this low all the time but sadly, it just isn’t possible. Even when adoption fees are full price, we lose money. As a charity, RSPCA NSW charges adoption fees to help us cover the costs associated with caring for and preparing each animal for adoption. As you can imagine, the adoption fees we ask for do not begin to cover all these costs in addition to the food, treats, water, shelter and care that we provide for them until they are ready to find their forever homes. We also do not charge extra for animals that have had extensive vet treatment and surgeries that can sometimes be more than $5,000 each.

The adoption fee is in place as a contribution to the costs associated with preparing an animal for adoption.

If RSPCA NSW is offering the animals at a discount, how do you know they are going to the right home? What is the adoption process?  

RSPCA NSW always wants to ensure an animal goes to its perfect forever home.

Therefore, normal adoption procedures apply even when a reduced fee, or waived cost is offered. Once an interested adopter has expressed interest in an animal, RSPCA NSW staff will begin by ensuring the animal is the right match for the potential new home. For example, a dog who prefers a quiet, mature household may not be well-suited to a home with young children. An animal attendant will then provide the interested adopter with details about the animal, including the services or treatments the animal has received e.g., desexing, microchipping and parasite control. They will also discuss the animal’s diet, and any medications or regular treatments the animal may require e.g., flea and intestinal worming treatments, and vaccinations, including the dates when these are due. Each new owner will go home with an animal health check card. This will include important, individual information about the animal, including the date when the animal received parasite control and vaccinations. If relevant, the card will also tell the owner when the animal will need to undergo desexing stitch removal, or if ongoing parasite preventatives or vaccinations are required.

Following the adoption, RSPCA NSW is also able to provide over-the-phone support if the new owner has a question or concern.

Are all animals adopted from RSPCA NSW desexed and vet checked?  

All cats, dogs, rabbits and male guinea pigs adopted through RSPCA NSW come desexed and microchipped. All animals adopted from RSPCA NSW are vaccinated, up to date on worming and checked by a veterinarian. Desexing and identification requirements vary for each species available for adoption.

I can’t adopt between your promotion dates. Can I put an animal on hold and adopt it later at the discounted rate?  

The waived adoption costs are available from Friday August 2nd to Sunday August 4th only and there are no rainchecks. RSPCA NSW cannot put a hold on our animals, as this could prevent them from going to their forever homes sooner. Unfortunately, we are unable to extend the discounted adoption price outside of the set dates listed above.

There are so many issues with reduced or waived adoption promotions, why would you encourage this when the return rate is so high in these cases?

There is absolutely no evidence that the price point – even animals being adopted at a waived cost – has any impact on the animal’s subsequent welfare. There is a lot of international and Australian research published on this topic, and RSPCA NSW conducted its own post-campaign evaluation to ensure our return rates don’t increase following the promotional period.

RSPCA NSW always wants to ensure an animal goes to its perfect forever home. Therefore, normal adoption procedures apply even when a reduced fee, or waived cost is offered. This includes our trained staff going through a rigorous process to ensure every family is the best match for that individual animal, taking into consideration that animal’s energy requirements, size, medical requirements, individual personality and needs, and so on.

Each new owner goes home with an animal health check card which includes important, individual information about the animal, including the dates when the animal received parasite control and vaccinations and follow-up due dates. If relevant, the card will also tell the owner when the animal will need to undergo desexing stitch removal, or if any ongoing medical conditions need attention. If the animal has any ongoing medical conditions, this process includes a face-to-face with a veterinarian so that the new owner can discuss this in detail and ask any questions. Following the adoption, RSPCA NSW is also able to provide over-the-phone support if the new owner has any questions or concerns.

RSPCA NSW do everything they can to ensure every pet is perfectly matched with a sustainable, forever home. Any reduced price point has no impact on our regular processes.

Do you put down the animals that aren’t adopted from this promotion?  

Of course not! Here at RSPCA NSW, once an animal is put up for adoption, they stay up for adoption until they find their forever homes. Because of this, some animals are with us for months, even years but we will always love and care for them during that time.  

We hope this information helps!