When he bought me, 
​he thought he really wanted me. 
He didn't.
​For weeks my cage was soiled,​
For days I had no food,​
​He didn't want to pay the cost,​
To turn me into the rescue.
So he stuffed me in a plastic bag,​
and dropped me on the doorstep,
of the one place that would take me in,​
​The Rescue.​
They found me in the morning,
and took me right inside.
​I was wrapped up in warm blankets,
and checked over by a vet.​
They put me in a room,
with others just like me.
Most were scared,
​but some just sat and stared.
​Life meant nothing to them now.
​It had been awhile since my drop-off,
and I thought I was finally safe.
I wasn't.
​Morning brought a deadly silence,
as a new mark was put on my cage.​
The Mark.
I had been sentenced to death.​
My hope was long gone,
as my life would soon be.
As I lay down in a corner,
a head appeared,
staring curiously at me.
No matter.
​She would soon pass me,
​but she stayed.
At last she opened my cage,
and cradled me in her arms.
I wondered why she loved me,
​as I was obviously worthless.
She held me for a long time,
and I finally fell asleep.
​When I awoke,
​things weren’t the same.
A different scent,
a different cage,
softer bedding,and tastier food.
​I jumped when I saw the girl,
sitting by my cage.
It was then I understood.​
This girl had given me a chance,
when no one else had cared.
When I looked into her loving eyes,
I knew two things for sure.
I finally knew what love felt like,
and at long last, 
I was home.​

Poem written by Hannah; Photo by Kathy

Rosie was found by a couple during their walk in a rural area. They tried to get her but she ran away so the man went back later and caught her and brought her home. After two days she started to loose her hair so she was taken to the vet. The vet gave two options: put her down or treat her. They chose treating her so she was given an oral dose of Ivermectin and Chlorhexi to dilute and apply as a topical once a week. The couple could not keep her since they had two rat terrier mix dogs and they felt that they could do no more more for her since the treatment they were providing did not result in her getting better. 

​GPF took her in and found that she had other medical issues as well as hair loss. She appeared to have an URI and was severely underweight. It's quite possible that she was dumped where there was no access to water (a guinea pig will not eat if there is no water source). She was started on Bactrim/TMS. Metacam, Oxbow's Critical Care, liquid Vitamin C, and continued dosing with oral Ivermectin. It was not known if she would make it. She was named Rosie since she was found in Santa Rosa.

​UPDATE: Rosie went to the vet and had a couple of x-rays taken. She had pneumonia ... a "nasty" case per the vet; one lung was worse than the other. She was given fluids with Baytril and Vitamin B added and I was given fluids to take home in case she stopped eating. She was switched over to Baytril twice a day to see if that would help since the Bactrim/TMS didn't seem to be helping that much. If the Baytril interfered with her eating then she was to be put back on Bactrim and might also be given an injectable antibiotic. 

​She was not given oxygen like Max used to get when he showed up at (another) vet's. She was to continue with Critical Care and daily Vitamin C supplement (oral: liquid) and I was to check with the vet in a couple of days. If she did okay then she would be rechecked in four weeks (the minimum that it will take to get the pneumonia resolved) or the following week if things weren't working out too well. Lasix (for the fluid) was not an option with pneumonia and I'm to not apply any more aloe vera since she was ingesting a little of it and it can be toxic to them in large amounts.

​UPDATE: Rosie's hair is slowly growing in and should be fully grown in the next couple of weeks. She had gained 100 grams since she arrived here. She was still receiving her antibiotics and Critical Care daily. She still made noises and surged back and forth when she would breathe but she had perked up and was no longer bony.​

UPDATE 6-14-08: Rosie took a sudden turn for the worse and was having trouble breathing. She was taken to the vet where it was determined that it would be best to humanely euthanize her since she was having trouble getting any air/oxygen.