My Story

Hi I'm Valerie, owner and creator of The Plush Piggie by Anacapa Pets.

I've been sewing since I was about 8 years old. My mom taught me how to sew on her old Singer Golden Touch & Sew in the late 70's. 

I would sew doll clothes when I was young,  by my teenage years I was making my own clothing.  I even made my homecoming and prom dresses!

Nearly 20 years ago, I rescued my first guinea pigs. I have always been an animal lover and it was no different with these furry potatoes.

I began volunteering with local small animal rescues and shelters and truly found my calling in animal rescue.  I did everything from transport to fostering to..........you guessed it, sewing items for the rescues.

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Around 2014 at the urging of friends and family, I started making and selling fleece items under the name Valerie's Zoo.

It was then that I discovered how rewarding it was making things for other guinea pig parents to spoil their fur babies with. 

Hedgehog, rat, rabbit and other small pet owners were also able to enjoy many of my items.

Although I loved sewing these items by hand, I never felt as if I could personally sew enough to reach a broader audience. 

In 2020, after the world came to a screeching halt, I came to the realization that deep down what I really wanted to do, was have my designs made in much larger quantities. I would have to get help sewing the items.

By doing this I would be able to reach a lot more people.

  At that time I began the long process of learning how to form a company and went through many trials until I finally got it right!

At the same time I was working on creating this line of products, I also co-founded the Southern California Guinea Pig Rescue with rockstar guinea pig mamas Annie and Kit. 

With the level of unwanted guinea pigs in SoCal reaching crisis level, we have hit the ground running since forming in Dec 2021, and have an amazing team of volunteers who we are so grateful for.

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I am proud to have designed liners that our rescued guinea pigs can enjoy!

I have designed these items with your guinea pigs and small animals in mind. As someone who uses fleece every day, I know how important it is to have high quality items in your cage.

I love animals and have dedicated my life to helping them.  

Creating these items for your fur babies is an extension of that.

I care about your pets and hope that they will enjoy their items as much as I have enjoyed designing them! Thank you for taking the time to read.

Please feel free to reach out through the contact page if you have any questions.

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Valerie