article on 100lb Sulcata found in AZ desert

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Jermosh

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Just to clarify, PHS is not stating they have to many, they still have plenty of room for growth and the Sulcatas do not cost much other then manpower that is 90% volunteer.

The $10/ was the highest, I was under the impression that was a good price since most ads for large Sulcatas over 100lb are well above that price. But like I have said before, I am a newbie.

As for free animals? I don't see why that would be a good thing or expected. Even kill shelters will charge a fee. This is for a few reasons including hoarding precautions. In the end they have no issues with adoption really anyways, almost weekly they have adoptions of various sizes, we adopted out one female that I was sorta attached to since she was super friendly and would even nudge my leg when I went into the pen. They also do house inspections as well to verify they can take the animal.

Also, anyone who is interested to volunteer let me know. Its a lot of fun and my family loves it, very rewarding.
 

Criskers

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Jermosh said:
Just to clarify, PHS is not stating they have to many, they still have plenty of room for growth and the Sulcatas do not cost much other then manpower that is 90% volunteer.

Plenty of room? Sir, I've been to your place. You're on a 2.5 acre parcel that is crammed with enclosures plus the owner's residence. I would estimate the total square footage of the two sulcata pens combined, to be about 6000 square feet. That's about 1/7 of an acre, and it is crowded with what was bragged as over 200 sulcata tortoises mixed gender, most of them decent sized from what I saw. That is not "plenty of room".

As I said, the Arizona rescue scene is merely a disguise to acrue large numbers of tortoises while the authorities turn a blind eye, and sell the offspring out the back door.
 

Jermosh

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Hey everyone is allowed an opinion in the end I guess. If they were doing anything unethical they would not have all the Govt and society support, certifications, and awards. They are also getting funding and licensing for venom research lab.
 

TylerStewart

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I'm not even calling them unethical, unless they really are selling babies out the back door, while at the same time being a non-profit at the front door. They wouldn't get all the free volunteers and pats on the back if people knew they were breeding intentionally (and I'm not saying they are, but it wouldn't shock me at all). Again, I'm just tired of people complaining (and it seems to happen more on this forum than at the rescues themselves) that there's all these unwanted tortoises that aren't really unwanted. Sulcata breeders are made to be the bad guy just because a few rescues are intentionally hoarding them, making it seem like it's a nationwide problem.
 

DeanS

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In the City of Los Angeles Animal Shelters, it costs $13 to adopt a reptile...any reptile from a garter snake to a sulcata (no matter how big or how small). Legitimate rescues have little overhead as per their 501(c)(3) status. If taking on too many animals creates overhead then they are hoarding...plain and simple. $10/pound for a tortoise is ridiculous (and greedy) for a rescue to ask. I know that Tyler's job mandates a profit! He has all the animals he needs. But, if he offers to take unwanted animals, then I agree, why should he pay a 'rehoming fee'...maybe I would pay the rescue a delivery fee (gas and time).
 

DeanS

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Rescues are a funny thing! A few really love animals and want nothing but the best for them (that's good). Most of them are fanatics and love animals in their own peculiar way, but also want to earn their living selling them (not so good). And when I say most, I mean about 99.9% of them. And of that 99.9%, I'd say 99.9% of them don't know sh*t...but they'll swear to you (and the whole community) that they know everything! I've seen a few compounds that make backyard breeders (and, yes, even some puppy mills) look like the Ritz. Happens on a grand scale to. Being a SoCal native, I'll tell you (and most of you might already know), the Wildlife Waystation in San Fernando bred some wildlife for backdoor profit...lions, tigers, wolves...at least throught the 80s and into the 90s. But I digress! These people need to wake up! Do what's right for the animals! Frankly, I'd love to breed Aladar down the road...and very well might (When Eggroll grows up)! And my biggest reason? To enjoy my herd of Ivory sulcatas carrying on in my backyard! Besides! I figure Ivories are going to be a dime-a-dozen by then...if the feds don't ban reptile-keeping first!
 
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