General Care Discussion :: I need to speak my mind here..

[Turtle_Man_Marc]

If it were possible for us here in Canada to bring them back to their native land we would but they won't allow organizations do so anymore so we're stuck with them. Rescues used to be able to do that but I was notified that's no longer the case. [/img][/code]

[turtletats]

Well personally I'm glad that I didn't get very young turtles.

My story is that after years of wanting a turtle and waiting. (because I wanted my daughter to be old enough to understand the need for hand washing and not just sticking her hands in the tank whenever) I finally had a plan. I was gonna get the basics I would need from Craigs List and when I had everything ready I would start looking for the right turtle. I was hoping to find one in need of a new home but I hadn't ruled out pet store turtles.

So I replied to a CL ad for a 55 gal tank with stand and many accessories. When I arrived there I found out that the reason for getting rid of everything was that they were expecting a new baby this summer and just didn't have the room or the time for their 2 turtles anymore. They'd had them for about 7 years and were planning to reintroduce them into the wild. I told them that I was planning to get a turtle and they offered them to me. So they came home with me that evening!

I did have most everything they needed but they hadn't had any kind of basking area (we got them a turtle dock first but neither me or them were real happy with it so back out I went to get rock to build one up for them), they had been fed almost nothing but feeder fish for years, they had a filter... but after one look at the ancient, and frankly disgusting thing, I decided to get a new one. The new one didn't quite cut it so I've ordered a better canister filter.

The cost of all this has been more than I expected but thankfully I can afford it. The time spent on them is also more than expected. But the joy of watching them and knowing that I'm providing the best possible environment for them is also much greater than expected! I doubt I would have been any happier with watching hatchlings grow. Especially knowing that there are so many adolescent and adult turtles in need of good homes.

As for lifespan...I'm 36 and I know my turtles are at least 7 years old so I figure they will live until around retirement age. Then I can buy an RV and travel the country!

PS- this should also be a warning that even the best laid plans can get tipped on their ear at any given moment!

[Outlander]

Hear hear jenaero! Especially the part about taking your turtle to a vet. If people "can't afford" a vet then why do they have pets in the first place? Turtles are not fancy robotic toys.

[untsmurf]

Thank you Jenaero for posting what a lot of us have been thinking for a long time!

[TartarugaVerde]

Since I run a turtle rescue due to the extreme number of unwanted turtles out there, I find I have an almost hippocratic oath to provide medical care to rescues that need it.

I've spent hundreds of dollars at a time over the past 2 years on RES and other turtles that were never mine to begin with.

Here's a good example: ID#173 Sheldon the Southern Painted turtle. He came to me BECAUSE he was sick and his/her former owner didn't want to spend the money to help the turtle. This poor little 3inch turtle had an abscess on both sides of its face and required a vet visit.



Do I have continuous funding for that? No. Do I have a high paying job that allows me to afford that? Heck no. Did I wait till I got money in? NOPE.



366 dollars later, it took 2 vets and a vet tech assistant to perform the surgery on this little guy/girl and a months worth of antbiotics.



Sheldon is still here, and is a happy and healthy Painted turtle. He/She might have dimples for the rest of his/her life, but its better then having sun flower seed sized abscesses on each cheak.

We do this out of love for the animal

COOL ! GOOD JOB! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!