By Stephen Baldwin, RealWV
Redbird is a 2 ½ year old bling guinea pig from Preston County, WV. She is in the Top 10, competing in the Cadbury Bunny Rescue Pets Contest. The winning rescue pet will appear in a national commercial with the Cadbury Bunny and receive a monetary award for a local animal rescue.
To vote for Redbird, click THIS LINK.
Folks are allowed to vote once per day from now until March 14.
Best Friends
Jenn Wilson adopted Redbird a couple of years ago from the Metropolitan Guinea Rescue. She was one of 36 guinea pigs inside a single home in the Baltimore area. “It was a very sad situation, and Redbird had it rough,” Jenn recalls. “Once she was removed from the home, she had to stay with the rescue organization for five months to regain her health.”
Ever since she was a child, Jenn has owned guinea pigs as pets. “They are not starter pets,” she warns. “They need a lot of room and can be very messy, but I just love them.”
Because Redbird is blind, she requires extra care. When Jenn adopted Redbird, she also adopted her best friend, Pippi. They are inseparable, according to Jenn. “We joke that Pippi is Redbird’s seeing-eye pig.”
She tells the story of giving Pippi a cookie one night while Redbird was napping. “Pippi ate half of it and looked over where Redbid was asleep, and went and woke her up and gave her the other half.”
Rescue Pet Contest
Each year, thousands of entries are received by the Hershey Company for the Cadbury Bunny Rescue Pets Contest. They all compete for prize money ($5,000 to the owner and $5,000 to the animal rescue the animal was adopted from) and the right to be in a Cadbury Bunny commercial.
“Hershey confirmed that Redbird is the first West Virginian to ever be in the Top 10,” according to Jenn. “Being in the commercial would just be so precious, but the real prize is the money for the rescue. After COVID when a lot of people took on guineas as pets, people then couldn’t handle them and had to give them up. So the rescues have been overwhelmed. This money would really help.”
Guinea Pigs Rule
While Jenn says that Redbird is a homebody most of the time, her Top 10 status is opening new doors. Just this week, she visited the local library in her hometown to read a book with the kids and play with them.
“She had a lot of fun!” Jenn says. “Pippi went with her as well to meet the kids.”
If you want to keep up with the adventures of Redbird and Pippi, check out Guinea Pigs Rule on Facebook for regular updates.
“This is something all of West Virginia can be proud of,” Jenn offers. “A special needs animal is representing West Virginia nationally. And while she may not have been born in West Virginia, she’s a West Virginian at heart. She is feisty!”
To vote for Redbird between now and March 14, click THIS LINK.
