TODAY is St Dwynwen's Day, considered the Welsh equivalent to Valentine’s Day - and the RSPCA is hoping that love is in the air for some of the pets that have been so far overlooked at its Newport Animal Centre.

Staff are hoping the day will inspire loving new owners to rehome some of their adorable guinea pigs.

They include Cupid and Valentino - two lovely guinea pigs - who are looking for a home together.

They are shy boys who came into the centre as they were living in poor conditions, but they are now ready to start a new, happier life.

“We would love nothing more than to see these two cuties find a home this St Dwynwen’s Day," said Kirsty Morgan from the centre.

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Cupid and Valentino

“They both have long coats so their new owners would need to keep on top of grooming to keep them comfortable, and they would also need to be socialised with daily to build their confidence up when being handled.

“They have been with us for some time now, so we hope love will be in the air for them this weekend”.

Guinea pigs Mr Darcy and Heathcliff are also looking for new, separate homes.

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Mr Darcy

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Heathcliff

Mr Darcy came into RSPCA care due to welfare concerns - but is now ready for a cosy new home.

"Mr Darcy can be quite shy but once he is comfortable with you, he can be very inquisitive, especially if you have some tasty veg to hand," said Ms Morgan.

“His new owners would need to spend time socialising with him daily to build up his confidence, but it wouldn’t be long before he would think you were the love of his life.”

Heathcliff is a sweet guinea pig who is also looking for a loving new home. Sadly, he did not get the best start to life and is quite timid, but once he gets used to you his confidence grows and he will happily nibble on whatever treats you have to offer him.

“Heathcliff is looking for a quiet environment so that he can settle into his new home over time.

“His new owners would need to spend time socialising with him regularly to get him used to being handled, so he would ideally need a family with older children”.

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Meanwhile, a cat called Dougie - who has a heart shaped patch on his nose - is marking St Dwynwen's Day by looking forward to settling into a new home.

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Dougie (above), who is currently under the care of RSPCA Newport Adoption Centre (based at Pets at Home in Mendalgief Retail Park), first came into the care of the charity with an injury to his left hind foot.

“You cannot help but fall in love with Dougie," said rehoming co-ordinator Gaynor Smith.

"When we saw that he had a heart-shaped patch on his nose, we knew he was special.

“We are delighted he has now been reserved and soon he will be heading to his new home”.

If you would like to find out more about RSPCA Newport Adoption Centre, please call them on 0300 123 0595 or pop down for a visit.

If you would like to express an interest in Cupid and Valentino or Mr Darcy or Heathcliff, please contact RSPCA Newport Animal Centre via 0300 123 0744. The centre is based in Hartridge Farm Road in Newport.

For all the animals looking for homes in RSPCA care, visit https://www.rspca.org.uk/findapet