More than 20 dead, 14 live guinea pigs found dumped behind Carrollwood Walmart

CARROLLWOOD, Fla. - More than 20 dead guinea pigs were found dumped in Carrollwood Tuesday afternoon, according to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay (HSTB).

Shelter officials said a man called HTSB to capture guinea pigs found dumped behind a Walmart in Carrollwood.

Courtesy of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. 

Of the more than 20 guinea pigs that were found dead, the Humane Society said that included babies. The dead guinea pigs were found covered in flies and maggots, shelter officials said. 

They said the dead guinea pigs were lined up, leading shelter officials to believe someone had killed them, HSTB said in a graphic Facebook post. 

Courtesy of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.

The shelter said they were working to save as many guinea pigs as they could. Some of the guinea pigs that were found dumped were alive and recovered from couches that were dumped in the area, according to HSTB. They said they are caring for 14 guinea pigs that survived.

Courtesy of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. 

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office will be investigating the guinea pig deaths. The Humane Society did say they believe this is animal cruelty. Animal control is on scene to help investigate.

Courtesy of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. 

The Human Society is urging anyone who has an animal they need to surrender, to bring them to the shelter. The shelter is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.