Emily Ristuccia is a 17-year-old girl unlike any other.
Ristuccia, who runs an animal rescue for guinea pigs called Piggy Overnight Camp, is a 2026 Arlington High School graduate. She is taking a gap year to focus on the guinea pigs and will then attend Boston’s Emmanuel College. After some thought, she didn’t want to go to an institution that would be too far away for her to continue the rescue.
That good news for the tiny animals she saves throuugh her Piggy Overnight Camp, a state-licensed 501(c)3 organization that Ristuccia runs to rescue animals and provide boarding to people who are going on vacation and need someone to look after their pets. She offers many guinea pigs for adoption.
Ristuccia travels all over the state to pick up guinea pigs in danger, such as those left by dumpsters, near convenience stores, and even set free in the wild. She constantly reads Craigslist to see if there are any guinea pigs that need help. Ristuccia protects them by contacting the owner who listed them, sometimes pretending to be someone who just wants to adopt, and ensuring the guinea pigs are taken to safety.
“It’s one of the best feelings in the world. Watching them slowly realize they’re safe is really rewarding. My favorite part is seeing them go from surviving to actually enjoying life, whether that’s popcorning around their cage, making new friends, or eventually getting adopted into a family that loves them. That’s what makes all the difficult parts of rescue worth it,” said Ristuccia, who was originally profiled by YourArlington in 2025.
When she cannot help, or the treatment of someone’s guinea pigs or other animals has risen to the point of abuse or neglect, Ristuccia will still try to save them, as sometimes there can be very little time, but she also calls the MSPCA.
Animal control across the state calls her when they find any abandoned guinea pigs. They call MSPCA, but they know Ristuccia can come and get them quickly. Sometimes the difference between saving a guinea pig or not can be as little as a few hours.
Saving guinea pigs
Ristuccia can’t save every guinea pig. Sometimes she knows they’re not going to make it in the heat or cold, but she can’t find out where they live; sometimes they’re too sick by the time they get to her, or she can’t locate or catch some completely domestic animals that were released outside.
“It’s heartbreaking. You know what they need, and sometimes it’s just completely out of your control. You can’t save them all. It’s upsetting because they didn’t choose to be abandoned, and they depend on people to help them. I try to focus on the ones we are able to save, but that doesn’t mean I forget about the ones we couldn’t,” Ristuccia stated. “I feel very sad and frustrated. I think people assume you get used to it after a while, but you don’t. You always wonder if there’s something else you could have done.”
Things have recently changed for Piggy Overnight Camp. The number of guinea pigs being cared for by the rescue (including taking them to the vet) and found by Ristuccia is exponential, and includes a grueling medication regimen for sick guinea pigs, which means Ristuccia gets little sleep to ensure these animals receive their prescriptions.
It probably doesn’t help Ristuccia sleep given that so many guinea pigs are in her bedroom. She also has a number of guinea pigs in another room, and a third room that serves as the quarantine room for ill guinea pigs, who often need specialized care.
To make sure they aren’t confused with someone else, Ristuccia uses colored index cards with their names, ages, and any medical conditions. They also tell if one is on pregnancy watch; a high number of rescued guinea pigs found by Ristuccia are pregnant or need additional care beyond the rest of the guinea pigs.
The guinea pigs are lucky to have ended up in Ristuccia’s “guinea pig whisperer” home. They are are social animals, so Ristuccia recommends a pair or trio unless you already have another at home. Ristuccia’s little sister, Caitliin, 12, has also started to be involved. So is her mom, Christina.
Donations and donations in kind from her Amazon and Chewy lists, providing vegetables directly, and other supplies are crucial. She also desperately needs foster families, as she is becoming overloaded with guinea pigs, and it would also help to have volunteers to assist with caring for those already at camp.
Ristuccia plans on becoming a veterinarian. She would like to attend Tufts for graduate school and to earn her DVM. “At the end of the day, I just want the guinea pig to get help. Whether that’s from us, the MSPCA, or another rescue, what’s important is that they’re safe,” Ristuccia said.
This story was published on Aug. 2, 2026. For more information about the Piggy Overnight Camp, see http://www.piggyovernightcamp.com/
