My Petco Love Story: The Smile Generators

My Petco Love Story: The Smile Generators
by Coral Amayi

This is the story of my smile-generating guinea pigs: Mrs. Potato Head, Spud my Bud, and Sweet Yam. When I began my job as the Humane Education Coordinator at Longmont Humane Society in January, I read through the kids' camp manual, which suggested using guinea pigs for kids to interact with. While campers often dream of spending time with kittens and puppies, that's not always possible with shelter animals. Guinea pigs, being kind and cuddly, can help fill the children's desire to hold and cuddle an animal.

I started searching for guinea pigs to socialize and introduce to the kids. As luck would have it, a friend on Facebook posted about her surprise discovery: what she thought were two female guinea pigs turned out to be a mating pair, and she woke up to three new babies. I wanted young guinea pigs so I could socialize them and help them get used to kids and loud noises. After bringing them to the shelter, we realized one of the guinea pigs was male. I made the tough decision to surrender him, knowing the Longmont Humane Society would find him a good home.

Soon after, I noticed one of the girls was pregnant. I was excited about becoming a guinea pig grandmother, but sadly, the pregnancy ended in a stillbirth. I was devastated, realizing that even the loss of a pet you never meet still hurts deeply. That same day, our foster coordinator received a message about a guinea pig and her three babies needing a home. I didn’t hesitate and welcomed Mrs. Potato Head and her little ones, Fingerling, Yukon Gold, and Russet, into my care. We found homes for the babies, but Mrs. Potato Head was too sweet to let go, so I adopted her. Introducing her to the other guinea pigs took time, but soon they all became inseparable.

Since then, I’ve taken the guinea pigs to events around Longmont and Boulder County, where they’ve earned the title "smile generators." Watching children run up to them with wide grins is priceless. Parents’ smiles follow, and soon everyone passing by shares in the joy. It's not just kids—adults of all ages adore these sweet girls. It's amazing how much happiness they bring in such a short time. They’ve filled my life with joy, their squeaks, purrs, and cuddles filling my office. At camp, they were the favorite of hundreds of children, being held multiple times a day. They’ve become so well socialized that now they beg to be held and play with the kids.

I am incredibly thankful for the chance to adopt these little ones. I hope you, too, find room in your heart for adoption and experience the same love and joy they’ve brought to my life.