‘This has devastated my children’ - Mum’s anger as guinea pigs stolen from garden

Two guinea pigs were stolen from a home in Westwood Avenue in Lowestoft. PHOTO: Suffolk Police (Image: Archant)

Louise Patrick and her four children woke on Monday morning, May 24, to find their guinea pigs Larry and Fernando had been stolen from the garden of their Westwood Avenue home in Lowestoft.

The 39-year-old has now urged those behind the theft to “have a conscience” and return the pets to their family.

She said: “It has been an awful couple of days. I am a single parent-of-four with an autistic child and it is really upsetting to know someone can be so cruel in these unprecedented times.

“Every child’s life has been turned upside down at the minute, and this has devastated my children.

Louise Patrick with her children Ashton, Finley, Elaina and Mason after their two guinea pigs were stolen from their home in Lowestoft. PHOTO: Louise Patrick (Image: Archant)

“My five-year-old thinks the police can do everything so he doesn’t really understand that we might not see them again.

“We only had them for a year-and-a-half so they’re still babies.

“This was their first summer outside. They have taken them away from children.

“I would urge them to have a conscience and return the guinea pigs.”

Miss Patrick has also praised the actions of those in her local community after the incident.

She said: “We had a stranger come up to my house who walks past every day with his dog who saw the poster and wanted to give us a cash donation for anything we may need for a new hutch.

“It was such an act of human kindness and we are really appreciative of that.”

Miss Patrick is urging neighbours to check their CCTV in the area in the hopes of finding those involved, while officers at Suffolk Police have also called on anyone with information to get in touch.

A spokesperson for Suffolk Police said: “At some point between 9.30pm on Sunday May 24 and 10am on Monday May 25, offenders entered a garden on Westwood Avenue and removed the wire mesh covered wooden hutch, described as measuring around six feet by four feet.

One guinea pig is described as short haired, black in colour, with some white fur, and the second is described as long haired, mostly brown in colour with some white fur.

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact officers on 101, quoting reference 37/28666/20.