About The Potato Patch

During December 2020, founder Hannah identified a gap in suitable boarding facilities for guinea pigs locally after struggling to find someone to care for her four rescue girls. It was decided that during off-peak times, the boarding facilities would be used to house rescue pigs and thus The Potato Patch Rescue was born. It was so called for two reasons:

- The adorable nickname for guinea pigs 'furry potatoes'

- The site in which the main centre is situated was once a vegetable (potato) patch!

The Potato Patch has rescued and rehomed over 1000 guinea pigs as of October 2024. These include guinea pigs with long term medical needs, pregnant females, pups and elderly guinea pigs. We have also helped several emergencies cases of different species including two rabbits, a hamster and a rat!

We are a small rescue with only around 15 spaces at the main centre in Belton. We run mainly on foster carers, and currently have ten approved foster families and volunteers spanning Sheffield, Doncaster, Castleford, Lincoln and Brigg.

Because of this, there may be times where we can't take on any more guinea pigs due to reaching full capacity. Our foster carers only house one 'set' of piggies at a time to make sure they get the best possible care. Each foster usually has an area of specialism e.g. nursing medical needs, housing boars or socialising nervous pigs.

We are huge advocates for castrating young males and there is often a surplus in the rescue cycle due to misunderstandings about their needs. Castration helps to find more suitable homes with females for companionship.