Today when a friend of mine called, I could tell something was not right. When she told me what was going on, I almost couldn't believe it.

Her roommate left a guinea pig alone in their empty apartment for an ENTIRE MONTH. He had no food or water left. I don't even know how he survived, because a guinea pig's liver starts to shut down only 16 to 20 hours after it stops eating. This little guy is very lucky to be alive.

I just don't understand some people. How can you take responsibility for another's life, and then just disregard that commitment and leave that animal to die? When you bring an animal into your home, he becomes a part of your family. At minimum, you need to make sure he has everything he needs.

Would you abandon a helpless human being like that? No. Even if someone wanted to, they probably would not, since child neglect is oftentimes punished by law. On the contrary, animals are neglected and even abused, but the person never suffers any legal consequence. The animal can't speak for himself, so people who just don't care feel they can get away with it.

My friend brought him over here so I could help clip his severely overgrown (even curling under) nails and check his gender. His gender was a bit tough for me to determine… but I tried. I'm pretty sure he's a boy. I also gave him a vitamin C tablet, some fresh, green veggies, and cuddles. It's sad to watch a little guy enjoy something so much because he hasn't has it in so long, when really he should have it everyday.

Animals deserve the same quality of life as any human being.  Plain and simple.