Support tortoise

gurgleblaster

Member
Joined
May 19, 2020
Messages
66
Location (City and/or State)
Charlotte
I think our tortoise Shelly has become our older dogs support animal. So a bit of background Hazel is blind and deaf, but she can still smell which is how she experiences the world. Recently our other dog of 18 years passed away(inoperable benign tumor). Hazel is also a rescue and was severly abused as a puppy. Which has led to teeth issues later in life(i.e. she can't really bite anything harder than soft dog food.). After her sister passed she pretty much stopped eating and was losing weight. She needed something. Through sheer accident while I was walking Shelly our tortoise hazel on a rare occasion also wanted to be outside. After smelling Shelly she started eating again in her food bowl later that evening. Today was a real struggle so I put hazel in Shelly's enclosure and she finally stopped howling and cuddled beside our tort. Shelly was mostly indifferent as most torts are I think she even tried to tunnel into her fur at one point. Hazel ate once more and returned to her bed. Animals can be strange and mysterious sometimes but a little compassion even if inadvertent goes a long way.

We were really concerned we were going to have to put Hazel down with all her health issues. Shelly has given her a sense of comfort that she missed from her sister and saved a life.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,405
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
this is a heart warming story. Your doggie just needed to feel another live body in her space.
 

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