Kimie Smothermon starts every morning the same way: surrounded by squeals, chirps and purrs from nearly 400 guinea pigs packed into a converted office space in Salisbury, Massachusetts.
The Guinea Pig Sanctuary sits roughly 40 miles north of Boston. On any given day, between 350 and 400 guinea pigs live there, housed in cages stacked floor to ceiling. Volunteers and visitors squeeze past each other through the rows.
"If I could figure out how to get out of this at this point, I probably would," Smothermon said. "But I do believe that to a certain extent, I probably wouldn't get out of bed if I didn't have this."
The sanctuary is one of the few operations in the United States dedicated specifically to abandoned guinea pigs. Smothermon offers boarding and rehoming services. The animals arrive surrendered, stray or unwanted—guinea pigs that owners could no longer keep.
The sanctuary's origin traces to Smothermon's grandson, Alex, who found comfort in guinea pigs after a traumatic accident. That personal connection drove Smothermon to build an operation around the animals and the people who need them.
In 2019, a fire struck the sanctuary. Smothermon rebuilt and continued. As of July 10, 2026—when volunteers Brianna MacIntyre and adoption coordinator Brittany Provencale were on site—the daily work continued: feeding, nail clipping, monitoring and rehoming.
The space is cramped by design and necessity. The converted office layout means every square foot is used. Smothermon describes the daily rhythm as a mix of chaos and fulfillment.
