Guinea pig abandoned with note at Canning Town Tube station

The pet, named DiscoPig by the RSPCA, was found outside Canning Town station

A guinea pig has been found abandoned outside an east London Tube station, something the RSPCA has described as "an incredibly cruel thing to do".

Canning Town station staff discovered the pet, which has been named DiscoPig, alone inside a cage with a note that read: "I need a new owner."

The RSPCA said the animal had been left in a vulnerable situation and needed to be around other guinea pigs.

It urged anyone with information about what happened to get in touch.

Station staff discovered the cage in an alleyway, where there was no CCTV, at about 16:20 GMT on 18 February.

While DiscoPig was found to be "healthy and well cared for", RSPCA inspectors were concerned that the animal had been left alone.

The pet was found inside a cage with a note that read "I need a new owner"

"A guinea pig can develop abnormal behaviour and may suffer if they are left without company of other guinea pigs," RSPCA inspector Shahnaz Ahmad explained.

The pet, aged between six and 12 months, will be available to rehome from the RSPCA, along with a mate, soon.

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"We encourage people to reach out to local animal welfare charities for help with pet care, rather than leaving them in a vulnerable situation like this," Ms Ahmad said.

"Abandoning pets in such a manner is an incredibly cruel thing to do and never the answer."

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