Guinea Pig Welfare Forum
Bringing experts together to improve guinea pig welfare
Guinea Pig Welfare Forum 2026
The Guinea Pig Welfare Forum 2026 brought together veterinary professionals, researchers, welfare organisations and guinea pig enthusiasts to share knowledge, explore key welfare challenges and help drive positive change for guinea pigs across the UK.
Missed the event or want to revisit the discussions?
Catch up on the expert presentations and explore highlights from the day.
What is the Guinea Pig Welfare Forum?
The Guinea Pig Welfare Forum is a dedicated event bringing together veterinary professionals, researchers, rescue organisations, educators and welfare advocates, all united by a shared commitment to improving guinea pig welfare.
Co-hosted by Burgess Excel and Guinea Pig Welfare UK, the Forum provides a platform to share the latest evidence, exchange experiences and encourage meaningful discussion around the challenges facing guinea pigs.
Through expert-led presentations, collaboration and networking, the Forum aims to help raise standards of care, promote responsible ownership and support positive change for guinea pigs across the UK.
Looking back at GPWF 2026
Co-hosted by Burgess Excel and Guinea Pig Welfare UK, the 2026 Guinea Pig Welfare Forum took place on 22 September in Birmingham, bringing together experts from across the veterinary, research, rescue and education sectors.
From responsible breeding and companionship to welfare in rescue and educational settings, the Forum explored some of the most important issues affecting guinea pigs today.
Throughout the day, speakers shared the latest evidence, practical experiences and insights, sparking valuable discussions about how we can work together to improve welfare standards and promote responsible guinea pig care.
“By bringing together experts from across the sector, we can continue driving meaningful progress in guinea pig welfare.”
John Chitty, RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Zoological Medicine & Chair of GPWF
Catch up on the GPWF 2026 presentations
Missed a session or want to revisit the discussions?
Explore the expert presentations from this year's Guinea Pig Welfare Forum, covering a range of important topics in guinea pig health, welfare and care.
Hear from veterinary professionals, researchers and welfare experts as they share their knowledge, experiences and practical insights to help improve the lives of guinea pigs.
Gallery
Presentations
Welcome to Guinea Pig Welfare Forum 2026
GPWF 2026
Research Update (Guinea Pigs & UK Vets)
Mary Coles
Caesarean Section in Guinea Pigs
Aidan Raftery MVB CertZooMed Cbiol MRSB MRCVS Majo Parreno RVN CertAPVN (Small mammal, Avian, Herp)
Teaching Handling Guinea Pigs
Alison Wills
Guinea Pig Reproduction
Virginia Garner-Richardson
Building Confidence with Early Husbandry Interventions
Hannah Messer RVN BSC (Hons) CertEd
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