Nottingham guinea pig rescue centre inspires documentary

Avalon Rescue looks after more than 300 guinea pigs

A guinea pig rescue centre in Nottingham has inspired a documentary that aims to uncover the secret world of the household pet.

More than 300 guinea pigs live in Avalon Guinea Pig Rescue founder Sharon "Shaz" Kelly's garden in Wollaton.

She met Nottingham-based journalist Sharon Walia, who is hoping to highlight the mistreatment of the pet.

The visit inspired Ms Walia to travel the world to discover more about the animal.

The documentary maker travelled across the UK, France and even to Peru - the original home of the pigs - in a bid to highlight how important it is to people around the world.

Sharon Walia (left) and Shaz Kelly (right) at Avalon Guinea Pig Rescue

"I didn't know guinea pigs are life-changing to people", said Ms Walia.

"A few years ago, I went and did a story with Shaz at the rescue in Wollaton.

"From that point, I wanted to not only uncover how guinea pigs are mistreated in the UK, but I wanted to find out about how important they are to people's lives and find out their hidden history in Peru."

Ms Kelly hopes the documentary will show that "guinea pigs are there to be loved and not to be mistreated and dumped".

The documentary, called The Keeper of the Pigs, features footage from a week-long festival dedicated to the guinea pig in Peru.

"Peruvians celebrate the guinea pig unlike any animal I've ever seen celebrated in my life," Ms Walia said.