A guinea pig rescue centre in Wollaton has reached bursting point after taking in 350 animals.

Avalon owner and founder Sharon ‘Shaz’ Kelly originally opened her home in 2006 to just a few pigs, but now she has hundreds with the aim of rehabilitating poorly animals and eventually re-homing them.

Shaz’s total recently reached new heights when she saved a handful of baby guinea pigs that ended up at an animal auction.

She believes that some of the animals are bought as food for larger animals instead of as pets.

She said: “An auction down in Leicestershire takes guinea pigs and rabbits, but to some sellers treat it more or less as a dumping ground.

“It doesn’t matter if they’re sick or if there’s something wrong with them, some are even pregnant. They are just dumped in the auction and sold off.”

Video: Shaz Kelly tells Notts TV about incidents she’s witnessed recently

Shaz says it is particularly difficult to house the creatures during the winter months and has had to dip into her own pocket in some cases to make sure all the pigs are fed.

She is also expecting an influx of residents after Christmas and is appealing for more families to come forward and give some of them loving new homes.

Her growing population is split between cages in her semi-detached house and purpose-built hutches in her garden.

Anyone interested in donating to the centre or re-homing an animal is asked to visit Avalon’s site.

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