Rest in Peace, Gizmo.

It is with great sadness and regret that yesterday at approx. 2:30 am, my guinea pig of four years passed away peacefully on my chest. Her estimated age is about 10, as her previous owner who was about to let her loose in Kensington Market in Toronto (a busy area) said she was about 6 years old when I rescued her.

Gizmo gave me an appreciation for small animals as companions as well as therapy animals. She accompanied me to class when I was in college for a presentation on Animal Assisted Therapy and wowed some of the students, as well helped me educate on aat and guinea pigs in general. She loved my dogs, playing with them on the carpet or among the clover in the backyard. She did not bite me once; even when clipping her nails or cleaning her ears. She loved lettuce and red pepper to a fault as well of course, as her Timothy Hay.

She is greatly missed and will be always as she helped inspire me to enter the world of AAT head on and I hope to still share great stories of all of her hard work and so many that loved her with all of the new people I meet at my amazing job.

**Please accept my apologies if I am not posting as often as I would like to, as I am also exploring strategies coping with my own grief at this time. I am so happy to be a part of such an open community in which I can share and have support. Thank you to all who have sent me your regards and condolences - they mean more then you know.**