Joshua Nair
In what might be one of the most heartbreaking animal stories of the year, a guinea pig was found abandoned at a station in London.
The little guy was found with a note attached to him in a situation the RSPCA has called 'very sad'.
Now known as DiscoPig, the pet was found completely alone in Canning Town station in London, where it was discovered by staff.
He was found in a cage with a note attached in an alleyway with no CCTV at around 4:20 pm on 18 February.
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The brown and white animal is estimated to be just six to 12 months old, and the RSPCA said that he was left vulnerable and needed to be around other guinea pigs.
RSPCA inspector Shahnaz Ahmad retrieved the pet and took him to a nearby animal welfare centre.
Ahmad said: "He seemed healthy and well cared for.
"It's very sad that someone has abandoned their pet in this way.
"We encourage people to reach out to local animal welfare charities for help with pet care, rather than leaving them in a vulnerable situation like this."
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She continued: "This guinea pig was found alone, guinea pigs are naturally sociable and normally prefer to be with one or more guinea pigs.
"A guinea pig can develop abnormal behaviour and may suffer if they are left without company.
"Abandoning pets in such a manner is an incredibly cruel thing to do and never the answer."
The note attached to the cage simply read 'I need a new owner' and stated that it was a guinea pig inside.
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The good news is that the guinea pig will be available to re-home from the RSPCA soon, along with a mate.
This is because guinea pigs are highly sociable, as Ahmad explains, and even make close-knit groups in the wild.
While in a cage or in captivity, social housing and living is considered essential.
There's no worries about violence or aggression to one another though, as the species are known to display low levels of both compared to other lab rodents.
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Several people online voiced their annoyance at the situation on X, formerly Twitter.
One user said: "Sad to see, glad everything is ok."
Another put: "Poor little thing but hopefully a happy outcome with a new loving family."
A third said: "Poor baby. I hate people who abandon animals."
Someone else simply posted: "Seriously?! How cruel."
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If you see an animal in distress and/or in need of help, contact the RSPCA's national animal cruelty line on 0300 1234 999 from 8am to 5pm seven days a week, or visit their website for further advice.