Rupert was born in February 2007 to a sow that was part of a group of 65 guinea pigs left in a large dog crate in the night drop box of a shelter in Northern California in January 2007. Most were pregnant sows, some were tiny pups, and many were affected by a horrible illness. It wasn’t clear at the time of intake that this illness was present. The guinea pigs were divided up among numerous rescues throughout California who offered to help.

A couple weeks after they arrived with various rescues, similar symptoms started showing up. Severe diarrhea and weight loss were the most common, driving the various groups to consult with at least ten different exotics veterinarians all over the state. Some tested positive for giardia and other parasites and were treated, but symptoms remained. Over the next several months, many medications were tried; many tests were run, including fecal analysis with an electron microscope. No clear cut cause was ever determined, but was suspected to be a virus. Many of the animals died, including many pups born to the ill sows.