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Our Mission

We believe that a family who plays together, grows together. That’s our wish for you. Family is more important than ever these days. Gillie tells us that ‘family’ isn’t just the one we’re born into, sometimes, it’s friends we choose. Even pets can be family! Whatever your family looks like, this is a safe space to play in where kids can be kids and grownups can breathe a sigh of relief.

Carolyn Franks and Ashley Dotson with their Gillie Guinea Pig plushes at the IAAPA Brass Ring Awards

Who Are We?

We’re a passionate group of animal lovers and dreamers. We believe that happy families have happy kids. And that happy kids can DREAM BIG! That’s why we’ve created stories, music, crafts and games with our ‘cavy crew,’ to simply offer up another way to have some fun and learn together. By the way, ‘cavy’ is another name for ‘guinea pig.’ See? You learned something new already!

Toddler cuddling with a group of guinea pigs

Why Guinea Pigs?

Running a children’s petting zoo for 15 years taught our founder one thing for sure – KIDS LOVE GUINEA PIGS! Mostly because children intuitively identify with these frolicking little furballs. Like kids, guinea pig are cute, cuddly, curious, playful and enjoy making friends. They share a sweet-natured innocence, too. 

If you have REAL guinea pigs, like we do, you can count on this site to deliver reliable, first-hand information on how to care for them. And if you don’t own one, that’s okay, you’re always welcome to come play with ours.

Meet the team

Woman smiling and holding an award plaque at the Brass Ring Awards, wearing a floral dress, a wide-brimmed straw hat with a plush animal on top, and a red lanyard with an ID badge, standing in front of a backdrop with the IAAPA logo.
A woman with glasses and blonde hair sitting in a green office chair at a wooden desk. She is smiling and has her hand on a laptop showing a cartoon character. Behind her is wall with colorful children's educational posters and a large cardboard cutout of a guinea pig wearing a cowboy hat labeled "Gillie."

Carolyn Franks
Creator of Gillie Guinea Pig

Ashley Dotson
Co-Writer

Michele Dodds illustrator of Gillie the Dream Big Guinea: Journey to GuineaPigVille
Karl Toerge animator of Gillie the Dream Big Guinea Pig

Michele Dodds
Illustrator

Karl Toerge
Animator

A smiling man with short dark hair and light skin, sitting on a park bench outdoors on a sunny day. He is wearing a long sleeve button-up shirt and jeans, with a relaxed pose crossing his legs and hands clasped. Background shows trees, bushes, a building, and a cloudy sky.
A man with tattoos on his arms wearing a black cap, a black shirt with small white dots, and a pink colorful neck gaiter, sitting at a table with a stuffed animal in his arms. He is smiling and appears to be in a public indoor space.

JD Crawford
Musician

Wendell Nesbit
Graphic Designer

A woman with short dark hair looking directly at the camera, holding an object in her right hand in indoor setting.
A man smiling and holding a guinea pig with a guinea pig face photo in front of a white race car with the hood open, inside a garage with closed metal shutters.

Sydney Buchan
Pitch Writer

Marco Sifuentes
Race Car Driver

A young man smiling, wearing a black cap with a logo, and a black shirt, outdoors with trees and greenery in the background.
A middle-aged woman with short, tousled red hair, wearing a black sleeveless top, and holding her hands together near her chin with a slight smile, against a plain light background.

Will Swift
Animation Manager

Michelle Zeitlin
Literary Manager

A man sitting indoors, wearing a dark gray shirt, with black hair and a neutral expression.
A young woman with short blonde hair, wearing a black velvet top with white trim and jewelry, smiling in front of a brick wall.

Linus Sora
Business Manager

Hannah Severance
Environmental Artist

Close-up portrait of a middle-aged man with medium-length gray hair, wearing a dark blue shirt, against a gray background.
Black and white portrait of a smiling young man with glasses, wearing a button-up shirt against a dark background.

Jean-Pierre Vanhoegaerden
Photographer

Daniel Ott
Videographer

Professional photo of Terese Zeccardi
Kevin Fortunato the Creative Director of Gillie the Dream Big Guinea Pig in a black turtle neck

Terese Zeccardi
Editor

Kevin Fortunato
Creative Director

A woman with short curly brown hair, wearing a bright pink sweater, smiling, against a blue background.
A man with glasses smiling in front of a house with a tiled roof, trees, and bushes.

Stefani Palmer
Merch Designer

Kevin LoCarro
Editor

A woman and a girl posing together at a spectator arts center. The woman is wearing a pink dress with a black corset, patterned tights, and sneakers. The girl is dressed in a black top with a colorful sparkle design and shorts. Both are smiling in front of a backdrop with the Spectile Creative Arts Center logo.
A portrait of a smiling woman with brown, shoulder-length hair, wearing pearl earrings, a necklace, and a beige blazer with a white inner shirt, in a professional indoor setting.

Reina Riviera
Choreographer

Catherine Holland
Legal

Meet The Voices

  • Voice Actor Forest Neikirk holding a baby alligator

    Forest Neikirk

    Voice of Gillie Guinea Pig

  • Kevin LoCarro

    Voice of Marshmallow Puff

  • Ashley Dotson

    Voice of Famous and Peetee

  • Tracy Delvaux

    Voice of Izzy and Suzy

  • Elric Mors

    Voice of Midnight