Kimie Smothermon's days in Salisbury, Massachusetts, are filled with the sounds of hundreds of guinea pigs. Her Guinea Pig Sanctuary houses between 350 and 400 of the small animals in a converted office space, where volunteers and visitors navigate rows of stacked cages to provide daily care.
The sanctuary addresses a growing need for rescue operations dedicated solely to guinea pigs, which are often surrendered by owners who become overwhelmed by their care requirements. Smothermon also offers boarding services and facilitates adoptions for the animals.
Smothermon's involvement began when her grandson, Alex, who has health issues stemming from a childhood fire, found comfort in interacting with guinea pigs. This led her family to start a rescue operation in New Hampshire. However, a devastating fire in 2019 destroyed their home, resulting in the loss of two of Smothermon's grandsons, two dogs, and dozens of guinea pigs. Despite this tragedy and living in temporary housing, Smothermon continued to receive guinea pigs needing help, which motivated her and her family to re-establish the sanctuary in Massachusetts.
Guinea pigs, originating from South America and domesticated around 5,000 B.C., are social animals that typically need to be kept in pairs and cannot thrive solely in cages. Smothermon often receives calls from across the country seeking to surrender guinea pigs, sometimes in large numbers. She describes the work as demanding, with few days off, but feels a profound responsibility to the animals.
"If I don’t get up, they don’t eat and they can die. So even though it’s not a choice, I have to," Smothermon said.