The Pawsies Blog

Small animals

Someone Surrendered a Potbellied Pig to You — Here's the Intake That Sets It Up to Stay Placed

It was sold as a "teacup" pig, outgrew the apartment and the local ordinance, and now it's a 120-pound animal nobody planned for. Here's how to run the intake so it doesn't bounce again.

Jul 28, 2026 8 min read

Small animals

Someone Surrendered a Guinea Pig — Here's the Intake That Keeps It Alive

A guinea pig arrives on a bag of muesli, in a shoebox cage, maybe already pregnant — and pregnancy in a cavy can be fatal. Here's the intake that keeps it alive, starting with sexing.

Jul 14, 2026 17 min read

Small animals

How to Take In a Surrendered Backyard Chicken Flock

Someone got in over their head, or the city sent a notice, and now there's a flock that needs to go somewhere. Here's how to intake surrendered chickens without infecting the birds you already have or breaking a law you didn't know existed.

Jul 1, 2026 10 min read

Small animals

Someone Surrendered a Ferret to You — Here's the Intake That Keeps It Healthy

A ferret hides illness, escapes through a two-inch gap, can die from a virus a guest tracks in on their shoes, and was almost certainly fed the wrong food. Here's how to run the intake so it doesn't become an emergency.

Jun 29, 2026 10 min read

Medical

A Foster Puppy Just Tested Positive for Parvo. Here's How to Contain It.

Parvo in a foster-based rescue isn't one sick puppy, it's a network of homes, cars, and volunteers that all just got connected to a virus that lives for months. The first 48 hours decide whether you lose one dog or ten.

Jun 23, 2026 14 min read

Medical

Someone Just Surrendered a Parrot to Your Rescue — Here's the First 60 Days

A parrot is not a returned dog. It can outlive you, it hides illness until it's almost too late, and the last three owners gave up for reasons nobody wrote down. Here's how to take one in without infecting your flock or missing what's actually wrong.

Jun 18, 2026 10 min read