Guinea Pig Welfare Forum addresses key challenges

Veterinary professionals, academics, welfare organisations and guinea pig enthusiasts gathered in Birmingham for the Guinea Pig Welfare Forum 2026. According to a press release from Burgess Pet Care, the event focused on key challenges facing guinea pig health and welfare in the UK.

Co-hosted by Burgess Excel and Guinea Pig Welfare UK, the forum brought together experts from veterinary medicine, research, rescue and education to discuss evidence-based care and opportunities to improve welfare standards. Proceedings were chaired by Dr John Chitty, Chair of Guinea Pig Welfare UK.

‘The Guinea Pig Welfare Forum has become an incredibly important platform for bringing together the people working to improve the lives of guinea pigs across the UK,’ said Suzanne Moyes, Deputy Managing Director and In-house Vet at Burgess Pet Care.

In her keynote presentation, Hannah Messer examined welfare challenges in domestic and rescue settings, highlighting the importance of appropriate nutrition, sufficient space, companionship and the early recognition of stress.

Other presentations addressed responsible breeding, veterinary interventions and welfare in educational animal handling classes. Virginia Garner-Richardson discussed unwanted litters, which often result from incorrect sexing and insufficient information. Allison Hilyer of the RSPCA emphasised the importance of companionship, presenting evidence against keeping guinea pigs alone.

The afternoon programme included discussions on challenges facing guinea pig rescue centres and the potential impact of future legislation. A recurring theme was the need for reliable, guinea pig-specific welfare information for owners, veterinary professionals and the wider pet sector.

‘Throughout the day there were some lively and thoughtful discussions, which is exactly what events like this are designed to encourage,’ said Dr Chitty.

The organisers emphasised the importance of continued cooperation between veterinary professionals, welfare organisations and the pet industry to improve standards of care across the UK.