Abandoned guinea pigs found in laundry basket behind TJ Maxx saved from storm by mom and daughter duo who finally give the pigs some stability before finding homes: ‘They were trapped in the basket with ramen noodles and nothing else.’

Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor

Aug 15, 2026 7:30 AM EDT

One of the least reported on abandoned animals are guinea pigs. Whether it be for a lack of abandonment or that they are too small to see once they get amongst short grass, we do not know. But today we have a tale of guinea pig rescue that will warm the heart and soothe the soul.

Guinea pigs are originally from South America. An animal known to roam planes, monch on grasses and weeds and generally live a chill life running in and out of their burrows. Which makes it all the more curious to find two in the United States, behind a TJ Maxx in a laundry basket with ramen. These are not animals who live in baskets, nor do they pawticularly enjoy the chewy goodness of cooked ramen. But between their homeland and their found location they must have passed through the hands of some people who were not all too kind to them and left them to waste away.

Thankfully those awful people were the only ones who felt that way and the moment these piggies were found a rescue mission began to give them comfort and safety through the stormy nights ahead. A rescuer stepped forward and volunteered to take them in and instantly fell in love. She and her daughter spent the next few nights caring for the cute critters, all while doing their best not to get attached. But you know how these things go.

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White and brown guinea pig and white and orange guinea pig in blue laundry basket covered by pink towel
_{Guinea pigs portrayed by models}
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You really never know what you might find tucked away in the nooks and crannies of TJ Maxx do you? It just goes to show that he who digs deep pulls out the greatest treasures the store has to offer. And no less than in the nick of time before these guinea pigs would have found themselves with a soggy pack of uncooked ramen to hopefully see them through a dark, cold and stormy night. And of course any kind of animal rescue is going to involve its fair share of attachment, heck just the act itself is a really connecting experience. Sometimes you just have to roll with the will of the universe and it seems as though it wants these ladies to have these pigs.
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While they will likely not live in a dog crate furever we are pretty sure at this point with this much dedication and care that these boys have found their furever homes for sure. Honestly people, we cannot say it enough, with all the animals in need on this planet, if you are lucky enough to be chosen by one of them to be their carer, take them up on the offer. It might not fit your life purrfectly but life isn’t pawfect and you will come away from the experience emotionally richer and with the knowledge that you truly made a difference in an animal’s life.
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