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Recently I heard of a tortoise that was rescued from substandard conditions in petshop and then placed in a mixed specie enclosure. As we all agree this not acceptable but the rescuer was well intentioned. My question is how is good rescue to be setup and run ? I have observed that that most part mainline animal rescues have little or no knowledge of the care of coldbroods in general. How should we proceed with the rescue of these animals and how would you set-up a rescue in areas where there is no interest from the main rescue orgs?

Itort , I am about a month away from opening a real deal turtle and tortoise sanctuary. I am focusing not only on local rescues but country wide acceptance of in need turtles and tortoises.

I am going to develop relationships with rescues and hopefully provide permanent sanctuary for many of their rescued animals.

My advice would be to rescue what you can. But find someone who is experienced. You can then send them out to the right people who live in the right climate.

If you have a heart for turtle and tortoise rescue I would love to work with you. Shoot me an email and we can talk more about it.

i have the same questions.

I have my hands full with law school, but I know people who have plenty of land and who would be willing to house torts. The trouble would come in the form of vet bills for the sickly and money for food for the ones who need more than greens and grass.

what is better - to setup a makeshift rescue or to not bother? and if I wanted to set one up how would I even go about it - I have emailed my local animal interest groups but they are pretty weak.

It's a fine line, but if you can take them in and give them a better life then what they had I think that's the best. Always keep in mind your own limitations.

It is so easy to overextend yourself and it happens without you realizing it sometimes. We get so caught up in the rescuing that sometimes we forget to plan/prepare for them correctly. They get placed in smaller more crowded cages, so we can just fit in that one more rescued animal. We start trying to save money by feeding less then ideal food. Then there is the time to simply care correctly for these guys. Know your limits in time, space, money, ect..,

As for the vet costs, often you can work with a vet who will cut you some serious breaks as far as costs. Not to mention you will find yourself slowly starting to know how to treat some of the more minor problems yourself, thus also saving money. Just don't fool yourself, there will be vet bills along the way. Have money set aside for it in your monthly budget.

I once ran our local reptile club's rescue and learned a few things the hard way. I am currently working on creating a turtle/tortoise sanctuary, but am taking it slow this time. I am slowly working one enclosure at a time rehabbing it to make them better then they were before.

I have decided that I don't want to house both male and female RES and chance having young. I also don't want to create another large pool just for RES. So for me, I have to draw the line at just taking in the females. That being said, I know if somebody came up and needed an immediate placing of a male RES, I would use one of my smaller currently empty pools and take it in...but only until I could find somebody set up for males.

You can't rescue them all and so you need to decide where your lines in the sand will be, but not be so rigid you can't move them a bit. In the end isn't it better to know you helped one animal lead a better life, then just sat back and said "I wish I had... I should have..."? Just be sure you don't end up being the location animals must be rescued from.

I would say it is good to try and rescue some animals. But what you have to do is devolpe a realtionship with people who will inturn take in these animals to a loving and knowledgeable home. Doing a rescue is pretty much a full time job and can cost a lot of money.

Redfootedboxturtles Wrote:I would say it is good to try and rescue some animals. But what you have to do is devolpe a realtionship with people who will inturn take in these animals to a loving and knowledgeable home. Doing a rescue is pretty much a full time job and can cost a lot of money.

I agree. You really need to get yourself set up into a network of like minded folks. Those other rescues may be weak and not into shelled creatures, but they are great resources to have. They often have experiences and ideas that will help you. Also just because you take in only shells, be ready for somebody to have a snake or a cat that needs rescuing. Know who to pass on this person to.

Jacqui , it is funny you brought that up. I recently adopted 7 neighborhood water turtles. Now I am about to take in a neighbors dog! What can I say a heart for animals is always growing!

For about 10 years I have been involved in purebred cat rescue and have experienced and seen quite a bit of the victories and disappointments of this mission. I know of a number of for profit "rescues" and also number serious just making it rescues. A good network is essential for many reasons.

I didnt think there was such a thing as a for profit rescue.

Redfootedboxturtles Wrote:I didnt think there was such a thing as a for profit rescue.

This is no-kill shelter that when gets purebred animal, holds it back till someone comes in looking for that type animal sells it for the going market price of the animal instead of the adoption fee. Also we found out about the practice of holding a pregnant animal until it gives birth and then destroying the whole litter thereby recieving money from state for destroying multi animals instead of one. Subsidized humane societies are a business.

Itort Wrote:My question is how is good rescue to be setup and run ?

You have to have enough space that you can put each new animal received in its own habitat. Call around to the veterinarians in your area, or go and make a personal visit with each of them. Find out if one would be willing to give you a break on medications and treatments. See if they will show you how to give injections and take care of day-to-day first aid.

I live on an acre of land. In my area of Central California, what I rescue most of is:

1) male Calif. desert tortoises
2) male sulcatas
3) female RES

Since male tortoises fight, I have to have enough space to provide a separate pen for each male I take in. Last year I ended the year with 10 male CDT's that I had to over-winter...two of which were sick and had to be kept up. The others hibernated. My own personal desert tortoises lived in a 2560 square foot pen. Over the years I've had to section it off to provide for the rescues. I made pens along one side that are about 64 square feet each. Each pen has a hiding place and plenty of grass and weeds for them to graze on.



In the picture, you can see all of the isolation pens around the edge of the large field where my own personal tortoises live.

Because Sulcatas take up so much room, I try to find homes for those rescues as quickly as possible. My own Sulcata, Dudley, has three pastures that I rotate him through. When I get in rescued Sulcatas, they have to be put in one of Dudley's pastures. Also, my back yard is suitable for a temp tortoise, but has no electricity, so can only use it during the warm months.

I try to keep a list of people waiting to adopt so I'm not left caring for animals for too long a time. Two weeks is my bogie. In order to have a waiting list, I have advertised in the classified section of the local newspaper, joined local turtle clubs and advertise locally online. When a person's name comes up as the next person to adopt, I make an appointment and go take a look at their yard or tortoise habitat. I look for a safe place for a tortoise to live...no dog, no built in pool, safe fence, gates that close securely, a good hiding place, lots of sun and shade, etc. Hardly anyone fails to pass the inspection. What little needs to be done to make the yard safe most people are very willing to do.

After the first of every year, I make up a list of all the turtles and tortoises that came to me and I found a new home for. I make up a flier with this info and send it out to quite a few different vets in my area and also to the Sherriff, Police Dept., S.P.C.A., the Zoo, etc. In the flier I thank all of the above mentioned folks for their cooperation. I make sure that my name "Clovis Turtle & Tortoise Rescue" is in large letters and also my phone number. I also go to the different pet stores and make sure they have my business card.

I try to save money by doing all the rehab on the sick and injured tortoises myself. I lose very few animals, but some of them come to me too sick or injured to help. I don't take donations because I don't want the exchange of $$ to be misconstrued as "selling" a desert tortoise, which is illegal in Calif. But it does cost a lot to feed, medicate and care for turtles and tortoises. It would be a good idea for you to look into becoming a non-profit org. so that you can take donations.

Good luck with your endeavor. It is very rewarding work.

Yvonne

Itort Wrote:My question is how is good rescue to be setup and run ?

I neglected to mention that there is a very big difference between a "refuge" and a "rescue." If you want to rescue the turtles and tortoises, you do so with rehabilitation and adoption in mind. You don't keep them. A refuge is a sanctuary type place where the turtle goes to live out the remainder of its life. Most rescues don't have the land to be able to keep the animals that come in. You have to find good homes for them. Also, you don't want to end up on Animal Cops Houston, or Animal Precinct, as one of those "collectors" (read Hoarder). You don't get into being a rescue in order to add to your own collection. You do it so that you can find GOOD homes for the many turtles and tortoises in need.

Yvonne

wow - that's amazing.

I really want to do this - since I live in Louisiana there would be very little need for indoor pens except for maybe three months - which I think is a lot less than most states. It might have to wait until I get out of law school though since I live in dorms.

You also have to take into count state laws.. For example in AZ you have to have a hunting license, a wsp (wildlife service permit), sometimes a rehabbers permit (maybe not if you are a rescue), Then at the end of each year you have to send reports stating what animals you removed from wild (if any), what happened to them, etc. etc. etc. If you do decide and you want I have different health sheets, and a paper theat I fill out anytime I bring in a new tort, let me know I would be happy to email them to you. Good luck with your adventure... RFBT if you want contacts in FL that run rescues let me know I know of a few and I can email them your info to contact you.

As for keeping rescued water turtles, I use large water troughs that I bought at a feed store. I have one for the females and one for the males. I like to use the rubber troughs because I'm not sure if the poisons they use to weld the aluminum ones would leach toxins into the water. I put a clean cinder block in the middle and add water until it reaches the top of the cinder block. This leaves about 8" to the top of the trough and the turtles can't climb out. I only have them in there for a week or two, and if the water gets dirty, you just siphon it out and add clean.

Yvonne