An animal loving Suffolk family are appealing for help in tracing a dozen stolen guinea pigs.
The 12 pets were taken from land on the border of Claydon and Great Blakenham this week.
Four of the guinea pigs were two-week-old pups, while two were heavily pregnant females due to give birth within days.
The break-in happened at some point between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning – but the culprits are thought to have struck towards the beginning of that period, owing to the presence of uneaten food and lack of faeces in the hutches when the theft was discovered.
Whoever stole the guinea pigs also took their water bottles from the hutches, which were located behind a stable block on a yard kept by Lorraine Nichols.
The site was broken into just two weeks earlier, when thieves made off with equestrian gear.
Mrs Nichols said: “We have ponies on our bit of land, but we also have guinea pigs behind the stable block.
“We had a break-in about two weeks ago – and a few bits and pieces were stolen.
“When we arrived on Wednesday morning, we realised every single guinea pig had been taken.
“We were only there the night before. We stayed quite late because it was dark by the time we left.
“We run a small breeding programme. It’s a little hobby. In the grand scheme of things, it might not seem much, but they do end up becoming part of the family.
“In total, there were eight adults and four babies.
“I think whoever did this was responsible for the first burglary. I can’t believe it was just a chancer. It’s too big a coincidence. They had to have been prepared.”
Among the stolen guinea pigs were three breeding males and two pregnant females.
Following the break-in, Mrs Nichols took to social media to spread the word and appeal for the animals’ safe return.
Within 24 hours, her Facebook post had been shared more than 1,000 times.
Mrs Nichols said: “I’m not sure if we’ll ever see them again – but I’ve been overwhelmed by the power of Facebook.
“It’s comforting to know there are people out there who care.”
If you know anything about the theft or where the guinea pigs are now, call 101 and quote reference number 54055/20.
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