Is my campus bordering on animal abuse?

[Terri123]

Whatever I can do to help, let me know. I think if you let them know that your tort group is very, very concerned and it's an animal rights issue, and you tell them what needs to change, and show them proper tort care, then things will change , please keep us posted.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

I vote for Pastel Tortie as the new Dean! Great ideas!

Nope, I don't have the advanced degrees. They wouldn't even talk to me.

Besides, I'd have more fun on the emergency management side of the house. I'd be tempted to run frequent, no-notice emergency exercises in the biology department and write them up for not having appropriate plans and emergency accommodations for the animals in their care. Blue skies would resume when the tortoise care improved. Yeah, I probably wouldn't last too long.

 

[wellington]

The one simple thing they can do is replace the soak dish with a shorter and wider one that he can easily climb into and fit. It's not enough, but will give him some relief until he can be rehoused.

Personally, I feel sorry for tortoises that are enclosed all the time. My red foot is free range, walks around our back yard (with several soak spots) all day and sleeps in his heated deck box at night. I know the consensus on this forum is that it's a bad setup, but I don't have the heart to keep his free spirit locked up.

How is the consensus of this forum a tortoise living outside not a good setup? That's what we are hoping everyone does for their tortoise. As long as its outside and not roaming the house floors.
If you mean free range because you have no fencing to keep him from wondering away then yes, that's just stupid. But wondering a yard that is fenced is fine. Some people just don't give their whole yard others do.

 

[BTM]

There has got to be some way to bring attention to this in your school.....you can't possibly be the only person in an entire university concerned with the well being of an animal. If I were you I would at the very least call a local vet that specializes in herpetology and find out how to address this. If you're not able to do that I'm happy to put them out on blast on social media and i will tag every animal rights group and animal sanctuary in Pennsylvania that exists. Or you could do the same.....

 

[TheWaveCarver]

Sad situation for sure. I almost wish someone would just take the Redfoot without permission lol. I doubt they would get another considering they dont seem to be very invested in this one.

***Checks google maps***

 

[wellington]

There has got to be some way to bring attention to this in your school.....you can't possibly be the only person in an entire university concerned with the well being of an animal. If I were you I would at the very least call a local vet that specializes in herpetology and find out how to address this. If you're not able to do that I'm happy to put them out on blast on social media and i will tag every animal rights group and animal sanctuary in Pennsylvania that exists. Or you could do the same.....

Lol most vets don't have a clue how to properly house a tortoise. No, I wouldn't suggest their advice.
The petition is a good start. If that doesnt work then contacting a good animal rights group would be the next place to go for advice and help. Also bombarding them with calls of complaints by all of us and plastering their name and what they are doing all over social media. Even a call to a local news station would surely make a nasty notch on their reputation

 

[Jeo]

Poor little Mr.. Feel so sorry for him.... I would secretly call animal wardens/officers so they come in, and enforce proper care, diet and housing for the lovely tortie.... ???They don't need to know its you, they need to be told its not a choice but enforcement by the law...

 

[Turtle mom to 36]

Hello everyone!

I wanted to post this on here because I feel as though my University is on the verge of animal abuse with their care of our Redfoot tortoise that lives on campus.

Bill is about 30 years old living in 60 gallon glass fish tank. He has a lot of pyramiding because he’s given no calcium supplements and is only fed pellet food. He lives on a sand based substrate without any UVB and is in a crowded hallway where people bother him all day.

I don’t know if I’m overreacting about it, but I can’t help but feel our school’s animal husbandry is abysmal. Unfortunately, they are also in the care of a bearded dragon named Sunny and Athena the Russian tortoise ( who lives in a 20 gallon). Please let me know if I’m overreacting or if my concern is justified. I attached photos of him and his enclosure.


Thank you so much

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Has anyone called the Humane Society? They protect all animals… Wild, pets, endangered, etc. I would certainly turn these pictures into someone, because this is beyond sad. My eight-month-old Sulcata is in a bigger environment than that! ??

 

[Carol S]

I signed the petition. It hurts my heart to look at Bill. What a HORRIBLE life he has had so far. He needs to be adopted out to someone who can give him a wonderful life. I wonder what condition the Russian Tortoise is in? ?

 

[wellington]

Aagh. Ok.

Biology Department
Janice Voltzow, Ph.D.
Chair, Department of Biology
(570) 941-4378
[email protected]

We can start with Dr V!

Email sent

 

[Toddrickfl1]

Email sent

Same here

 

[Pyper38]

Another example of how some tortoises are so hardy that they're able to survive bad to horrible living conditions for such long durations despite possibly having to constantly deal with the pain associated with symptoms from malnutrition and unstable heating temperatures. All the animals in your school's husbandry program should deserve to live the rest of their lives with new, caring owners. They've suffered enough.

I suggest printing a ton of up to date tortoise care sheets. Tape them all around the affected animal enclosures and the specific department that oversees these animals along with your name and information, explaining to them how outdated their practices are or simply leaving the web address to this forum if you wish to remain anonymous.

That tortoise looks so dry. I'm surprised no one has attempted to free/steal these animals away.

I'm in Missouri but I am up for a rescue attempt!

 

[Pyper38]

Hello everyone!

I wanted to post this on here because I feel as though my University is on the verge of animal abuse with their care of our Redfoot tortoise that lives on campus.

Bill is about 30 years old living in 60 gallon glass fish tank. He has a lot of pyramiding because he’s given no calcium supplements and is only fed pellet food. He lives on a sand based substrate without any UVB and is in a crowded hallway where people bother him all day.

I don’t know if I’m overreacting about it, but I can’t help but feel our school’s animal husbandry is abysmal. Unfortunately, they are also in the care of a bearded dragon named Sunny and Athena the Russian tortoise ( who lives in a 20 gallon). Please let me know if I’m overreacting or if my concern is justified. I attached photos of him and his enclosure.


Thank you so much

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These guys need some IMMEDIATE help. What would happen if you just took them for daily soaks and started feeding and caring for them properly?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I signed the petition. Then posted it on Facebook.
Has that been taken down?

 

[Maro2Bear]

Petition signed as well.

 

[Nia L]

I signed the petition. It hurts my heart to look at Bill. What a HORRIBLE life he has had so far. He needs to be adopted out to someone who can give him a wonderful life. I wonder what condition the Russian Tortoise is in? ?

This is Athena

 

[Blackdog1714]

How about contacting a local news station. TV reports are all over the board right now so it could be a shot in the dark

 

[Nia L]

The dean has contacted us and we have scheduled a meeting for next Tuesday. In the meantime, please no one send any inflammatory emails because that will reflect poorly on me. Also, keep sending the petition around!

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[turtlesteve]

That’s got to be one of the worst looking redfoots I have seen.

My suggestion would have been to try and swing a fundraiser to donate larger enclosures with department approval.

 

[Chefdenoel10]

So after writing a letter and giving it to all the faculty in the bio department, it was made very clear that the issue would not be addressed. We have now decided to start a petition as well as extending our advocacy for Bill and Athena with the help of other students. Please sign if you would like to take part.

The world’s platform for change

Change.org is the world’s largest petition platform, using technology to empower more than 200 million users to create the change they want to see.

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I just signed. Good luck and I pray these animals are stolen!!!.....I mean saved ASAP!!! How cruel can people be! ?