Horror story, not for the light hearted tort lovers.

[tiff3grl]

I just recently went through a similar experience about 2 1/2 weeks ago. Mine involved a dog though. My husband and I agreed to dog sit for an old friend of his. As soon as the dog walked in the front door my jaw dropped. The poor thing was skin and bones. I didn't say anything right away because I wanted to think about the best way of going about it.

Anyways, my suggestion would be to do what I did and if that doesn't work then you can decide if you need to take further action. I had my husband contact him while he was on vacation and give suggestions in regards to feeding more, taking the dog to the vet, etc. (I figured this way he couldn't get too upset since he was in another state and he couldn't run right over and take the dog back). Throughout the conversation my husband never blamed him but rather suggested that maybe he didn't have the time for a dog right now. This guy can get offended very easy so it was a slow process. In the end he agreed and now we have 3 dogs. (2 rescues within the past 3 months) My point is, sometimes pointing a finger and blaming does not work as well as suggesting that maybe the time isn't right for a pet. They will figure out once they let the pet go that it was the right thing to do, and you will also learn that you were right in your decision. He has yet to call and ask about the dog. She is gaining weight and is happy so that is all that matters in the end.

 

[Squirt58]

Well she is never home, nor does she return my calls. Her kids are always the baby sitter and shes always at work or off somewhere. It was a sulcata tortoise. I doubt she would want us to ever sit because she KNOWS she would NOT get him back. I was watching him because she was living with her mom and we are basically they only people she knew with an apartment and their life together so we watched him until she got her own place. I know it isn't the kids fault they have bad parents, but these kids are evil. The kind that just squeeze and harm animals and get reprimanded for it but still continue to do these things. Almost every single kid in that family is like that. Pure evil, I swear. I know our kids will never be that way. That is a wonderful story about the dog you guys got :] i have given her hints and suggestions. She knows what she should do she just isn't letting it happen! I am grateful for everyone's responses here, but I don't want you all to think I'm doing nothing, I am. I have tried to call and go there to just 'say hi' but shes never there or never answers. She wasn't even the one who told me that he was lost. She is ignoring us because she knows once there is even a chance for us to go there that we will try to convince her to give him back to us. She is being stubborn and thinks she can raise this tortoise, even though in a few short years he will be huge and she will not have any idea how to take care of it in upstate new york.

---

Here are some pictures of the little guy. :[

 

[wellington]

I don't think any of us think your not doing anything. We are all just trying to think of the best way to help you get the poor thing. We are all here to help and support. If its a sulcata, maybe explain to her the damage it will do when it gets bigger. The care it will take just cleaning up the poop and that an unhappy sully can do lots of damage to the house and yard. It won't take long for it to get big enough to start that damage. Also that at that time, it will be harder to rehome him. Also, are you able to house a large sully properly? If not, you may need to think about rehoming him, once you get him out of her hands.

 

[Squirt58]

Well i'm glad to hear that :/. Yeah she knew that he was going to get big but I feel like she thinks it is going to be a dog. A 'dog' that will probably be in her great grandsons life.. As for us, we are currently raising some baby geckos (I bought my last female gravid, oops!) So i have one hatchling and a full seasons eggs in the incubator. So I have a total of 6 eggs, 4 geckos, a bearded dragon, and two ball pythons. I know I CAN take care of him, and would have a great area for him in the summer at my mothers who has a lot of land. When it gets cold out I would need to build him a enclosure, because what he is in now with her is just awful. I had it all planned out, my father and step father are both construction workers/ carpenters so I could easily make him something wonderful. I am actually attending school to become a zoologist so in the future I know he would have a perfect life once mine was all together. The only thing that worries me is that along the way we are going to have to move out of state and I just want to make sure he is happy and healthy.

 

[wellington]

Sounds like there are all good plans ahead, both for you and the little guy. Fingers crossed that you can get him. Moving him out of state, when the time comes, won't be too bad, as long you plan ahead, it will make things smoother, actually for you and him. Keep us updated.

 

[Squirt58]

I certainly will! I want to move somewhere warm since all of the animals I have are warm climate animals. It will make things a hell of a lot easier lol.

 

[Vickie]

My heart breaks for you girl. I don't get where some people think of animals and children as their property. We had similar situation with a Brother-in-law treating his daughters horrible and took us years between trying to get child services involved and any legal way we could before the oldest lost it and ended up in a Juvenal detention area. Now she is living permanently with sis-in-law and the other one has all intention of moving here once we have her a room made up. Either case I know how you feel its like your hands are tied and no matter what you do it never seems like it works out. Eventually though karma tends to bite such people in the a$$. Might not be as soon as we wish it was but sooner or later it normally does.

Honestly though in this situation I would try talking it out (which seems like in our situation was a lost cause) or bring a purse with you and when their backs are turned snatch the tortoise. Heck she most likely will think it got lost again at her place.

Wishing you the best of luck!
Vickie

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

About 8 month or so ago, I got onto this forum because I was watching my boyfriends sisters tortoise. I had concerns about his housing and basically everything about this little guy because I was supposed to be just baby sitting for her for a week or so. A week turned into months, we knew that she was able to care properly for this little guy. No were her kids in any shape or form old enough, to understand how he should be treated. I bought him all the things I knew would make this little tort happy. But my boyfriend wouldn't let me get him everything because he knew she wouldn't pay us back for anything. Finally she came to get him, I honestly didn't want to give her him. But she did buy him, so I had to. I wrote out a list of things she NEEDED to buy him or else he would not be healthy. I gave her links to sites, to places where she could get his food. Everything. So a week goes by, she decides she doesn't want the responsibility anymore and asks if we will keep him. I say yes very quickly. Then she suddenly changes her mind, and retracts her question. She knows that if we took him back, he would never see her again. My boyfriend wouldn't allow it. Months go by. She never asks me anything. Come to find out.. she LOST him, in her apartment. Cant find him anywhere. She believes that the kids 'threw him away' Or put him in the toilet. I KNEW something like this was going to happen. I was so infuriated, and still am. I coped with the loss, as best I could. Then, out of nowhere a few days ago. She FINDS him, mind you its been at least 5 months since they lost him. He is still alive. I cant believe it. As much as I hated to say it, I was sad that he was, because death would have been a better answer for him. Than having to live in that house being poorly treated. Im so flustered. I want to take him away from her, he cant be healthy.
/rant

Sorry guys im just so upset and i needed to get this off my chest.

Might offer to buy or trade something for it...sometimes that's the most expedious way around these issues, and the sooner the little beastie is in a loving home, the better the odds of it surviving.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Well she is never home, nor does she return my calls. Her kids are always the baby sitter and shes always at work or off somewhere. It was a sulcata tortoise. I doubt she would want us to ever sit because she KNOWS she would NOT get him back...

Here are some pictures of the little guy. :[

Looks like the poor little guy already has the beginnings of pyramiding. He looks good otherwise, though, so it's by no means too late. I like the suggestion above of offering to buy or trade. I hope you get him. Good luck!

 

[Squirt58]

Well the petshop he was in had him in terrible conditions, so i was always extra carefull to make sure he was getting the love he needed. I tried calling her today but no answer. She just recently deleted her fb too.. there is a family party in a few weeks that i know she will be at so im deff going to go and confront her about all of this. She might take money, but i certainly wouldnt even trade her anything.

 

[jtrux]

So when you go buy this tortoise or steal it from her or whatever are you gonna do, are you gonna continue to buy or steal every pet she has from here on out?

 

[Squirt58]

Lol no, but I probably should. Certain people just shouldn't own animals.

Sent from my SCH-I405 using TortForum mobile app

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

So when you go buy this tortoise or steal it from her or whatever are you gonna do, are you gonna continue to buy or steal every pet she has from here on out?

Maybe we should take turns...

NO TORTOISE LEFT BEHIND!

 

[Squirt58]

lol yes!!! we can have a colony of mistreated animals that will go to better homes by the end of it!

 

[diaboliqueturtle]

You gotta do what you gotta do, right?! I still feel a little bit bad about strong arming a young girl (maybe 12) into giving me her boxie. She posted an ad and then yanked it seconds later but it was too late, I was already dialling and I was VERY pushy. I have no doubts he would not have survived much longer in her care, he HAD to come home with us. I'm treating an eye issue right now but he is certainly thriving now that he's here.

I like the big purse suggestion

 

[Derrick]

Well I believe the fact, with the others that, you should go get that turtle. It might mean purchasing it off the other person, but so what you already purchased the devices anyway. Appears to be like the other individual is fairly unaware, of what it take to proper care for a turtle.

 

[Nedy]

WelL said Jacqui!

It says a lot that she could "lose" him in her house for so long. Now my house is a mess and I have a ton of animals and junk around, but even I can find a missing tortoise in my home. It tells me she never even bothered to look for it. How much did she pay for it? Could you offer to buy it back? Perhaps not at the full price.

You know something needs to be done and done yesterday for the sake of this tortoise. I think you came in here to share, to get this off your chest and maybe for us to give you the courage or simply back you up on doing something. So this it... go get that tortoise! Follow your heart and do it, then live with any problems it creates be it from her, your b/f, whomever. Sit back and only talk about it won't save the tortoise and your going to feel like crap if you do nothing more and it dies. You have been given a second chance to help the tortoise, now take it and give him a second chance to live. Please.

 

[*misskerrimoo*]

This is so heartbreaking! :*( we are all rooting for you! & the tortie! Could you go over, when the kid is babysitting the others, & offer the child the money & extra is he/she claims the youngins lost it again?! Jesus... Poor baby sully... ill keep him In my prayers. Try any means possible to rescue the baby!

MY BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN:

3.2.0 Cats (Neeko, Bootsie, Bean (Special Needs), Puff (Special needs), Pokie)
1.0.0 Dog (Sidney (Special needs))
2.0.0 Bearded Dragons (Lochey & Zane (Special needs))
2.1.0 Leopard Geckos (Hopper, Spanky-Butt (Special needs), Rumi)
0.0.1 Greek Tortoise Hatchling (Mookie-Boo - Ibera species)
0.0.2 Fire Bellied Toads (Ellie, Teddy)
0.0.1 Emporer Scorpion (Mr. Pickles)
1.0.0 Betta Fish (Mr. Pook-Pook)

 

[Sulcata_Sandy]

I'm so sad to read this. I'm so glad you are his advocate, but so angry you are unable to take him. Please keep trying, or offer to find him a better home. He needs help.


Sandy in Oregon
.....................................................
Schlomo the rescue Sulcata
Dexter and Lola (Basenjis)
Sent from my iPad using TortForum mobile app

 

[rayneygirl]

did you rescue him?