# Pet African tortoise escapes from yard,



## Cowboy_Ken (Sep 6, 2017)

It's not pretty, good, or even close to the outcome any of us would have liked to have seen …
https://www.wthr.com/article/pet-african-tortoise-escapes-from-yard-shot-and-killed-by-neighbor


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## Big Charlie (Sep 6, 2017)

That's very sad.


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## wellington (Sep 6, 2017)

Very sad there are such stupid people in the world with a gun no less! 
Idiot, just an idiot!


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## orv (Sep 6, 2017)

I'll never understand the mentality of those who would shoot a living creature "because didn't know what it was". That's right, shoot now and ask questions later. Although we keepers of turtles/tortoises have a responsibility to maintain their safety, this shooting of a magnificent pet is inexcusable. It has been shared many times on this forum what escape artists tortoises are . . . this is the unfortunate result.


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## Tom (Sep 6, 2017)

I can't get the link to open, but I think i'm getting the gist of it…

I hope none of my neighbors ever pull something stupid like that…


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## Cowboy_Ken (Sep 20, 2017)

Here is an update: I've simply done a copy/paste…
Man who shot family’s pet tortoise in Zionsville facing criminal mischief charge
FOX59 Web
1 day ago

Photo from Tasha Chapel

ZIONSVILLE, Ind. – A man who shot his neighbor’s pet tortoise earlier this month is now facing a criminal mischief charge.

The Boone County Sheriff’s Office says it has ended its investigation into the animal’s death and has concluded that Brandt Lawson “recklessly, knowingly or intentionally” destroyed Tasha Chapel’s property without her consent.


According to Chapel, her 65 lb. African sulcata tortoise named Merlin had gotten loose in the area near Horseshoe Dr. and the Rockbridge subdivision on the afternoon of Thursday, Aug. 31.


Chapel later learned that the tortoise had wandered onto Lawson’s farm and he had shot it in the head. He told the owner he thought Merlin was a snapping turtle and thought he might bite someone.

In an interview with FOX59, Chapel said Merlin’s breed is neither aggressive nor dangerous to humans. She believes the farmer had several options that didn’t involve shooting the family’s pet.

According to a statement from Lawson’s attorney, he “apologized to the pet’s owner immediately after he realized his own terrible error in judgment.”

Lawson maintains he thought the tortoise was potentially dangerous.


“[He] is devastated that he mistook the exotic pet for a potentially harmful animal. He is hopeful that he will be able to meet with the pet’s owner to more fully express his sincere apologies,” the statement from his attorney said.

The county’s animal control liaison urges the community to contact local law enforcement, the Humane Society or DNR if they come in contact or observe an animal that they have questions about.

Sheriff Nielsen issued the following statement:

“The Sheriff’s Office is committed to protecting lives of everyone, human or animal, domestic or non-domestic; if it is outside the confines of the state law. This is an unfortunate circumstance with Merlin, because he is not considered a domestic animal by state law. When we found out what occurred we immediately began an investigation with our Animal Control Liaison. Deputy Fisher, our Animal Control Liaison, reached out to many other agencies to see what could be done about this incident. This is just another example of why we have been working so hard for the last year on getting the proper county animal control ordinance in place as well as the funding for a full time Animal Control Officer.”

Here is the original posting:

Man who shot family’s pet tortoise in Zionsville apologizes for ‘terrible error in judgment’
POSTED 7:41 AM, SEPTEMBER 7, 2017, BY FOX59 WEB

Merlin the tortoise


ZIONSVILLE, Ind. – The man who fatally shot a family’s pet tortoise last week apologized for his “terrible error in judgment,” according to a statement from his attorney.


On Sept. 1, 2017, deputies from the Boone County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call in rural Zionsville after a tortoise was shot in the head.

Merlin, a 65-lb. African sulcata tortoise, had escaped from his enclosure the day before and was spotted wandering down the road.

His owner, Tasha Chapel, realized he was missing and posted a plea on Facebook to find him. Several people responded with photos that showed Merlin walking along the road. Chapel later learned that a man at a neighboring farm had shot the tortoise and killed him.

According to a statement provided by the law office of Coots, Henke & Wheeler, P.C. in Carmel, the man who shot the tortoise has lived in the area for years and called to apologize to Chapel after shooting the tortoise.

“He expressed his sincere sorrow to the family and continues to indicate a desire to make amends,” the statement read. “The overwhelming negative response on social media with distorted facts and speculation has put a barrier between the man and the pet’s owner with attempts to make amends nearly impossible.”

The statement said Merlin’s family is “understandably angry and grieving the loss of their beloved pet.”

In an interview this week with FOX59, Chapel said Merlin’s breed is neither aggressive nor dangerous to humans. She believes the farmer had several options that didn’t involve shooting the family’s pet.

“He could have called police, he could have called any of the vet clinics around here, there are a ton of them around here,” she said. “He could have called Boone County Humane Society.”

The farmer maintains he thought the tortoise was potentially dangerous.

“[He] is devastated that he mistook the exotic pet for a potentially harmful animal. He is hopeful that he will be able to meet with the pet’s owner to more fully express his sincere apologies,” the statement from his attorney said.

The Boone County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case with help from the Department of Natural Resources, the State Board of Animal Health and Boone County Prosecutor’s Office.

Here’s the full statement from the attorney:

The Zionsville man who has lived in the area for decades, apologized to the pet’s owner immediately after he realized his own terrible error in judgment. He expressed his sincere sorrow to the family and continues to indicate a desire to make amends. The overwhelming negative response on social media with distorted facts and speculation, has put a barrier between the man and the pet’s owner with attempts to make amends nearly impossible.

The family is understandably angry and grieving for the loss of their beloved pet. The man is devastated that he mistook the exotic pet for a potentially harmful animal. He is hopeful that he will be able to meet with the pet’s owner to more fully express his sincere apologies.

Law Office of
Coots, Henke & Wheeler, P.C.


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