COLD DARK ROOM

[Pastel Tortie]

I do want to start a rescue though, just not sure how to go about it.

Well, once you get it established, if you're interested in applying for grants, let me know. I may have some knowledge or experience that might be helpful...
That goes for any of you. I can at least provide some pointers and coaching, unless it generates a conflict of interest or something like that.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Have an awesome Saturday everyone.

Here is some sunshine and warmth for you all.View attachment 259078

That view could be in South Florida!

 

[Yvonne G]

It was a salcata posted on here, in the salcata section. A newer person, can not keep it because they lost there house and wanted to make sure the tort was taken care of. After seeing how he is raised, I might tell them if they get another place, they can have him back. But, I want to see first. She didn’t have transportation to bring his enclosure so I told her I would come pick him up. Just trying to help some.

You're a good person, Cheryl. Can we see a picture of the tortoise?

I do want to start a rescue though, just not sure how to go about it.

If I were starting over, I for sure would go through the rigamarole of applying for non-profit status. When I first started, I contacted our state's Fish and Wildlife folks and received an M.O.U. from them allowing me to handle the state's endangered/threatened turtle/tortoise species. I also sent a flier around to all law enforcement offices, many vet's offices, the local S.P.C.A. and the zoo letting them know I was taking in unwanted turtles and tortoises.

But before you even consider starting your project, you have to make sure you have enough room to set up quarantined animals so they are one off. I have several permanent quarantine pens, but I also have much scrap lumber (1x12's) and wooden stakes, for making more temporary pens when I get an overload. It's hard to take in the large sulcatas unless you have a large, well-fenced yard for them. And you have to try to find homes for those guys quickly unless you have more than one large yard for them. I put my large rescues in my back yard, and there's a heated shelter off the yard for bad weather. But if a call comes in for a large sulcata and I already have one occupying my back yard, I have to turn them away.

Since you're in Ohio, your problems with taking in animals are different from mine. I get my rescues mostly in good weather, so I can set them all up outside. But you're going to have to make sure you have enough space to set up cold weather places for rescues too. My property was set up to have a car port behind my house. I have since rearranged the yard so no cars can drive back to that car port, so I've built cinder block pens on the car port. I have six areas on the car port with pig blankets and lights/heat where I can house rescues in winter.

Plan on keeping "found" animals for at least two weeks before adopting them out. This gives the owners plenty of time to read craigslist and classified ads trying to find their animal. Place a 'found' ad as soon as you take in the animal to get it before the reading public as quickly as possible.

Keep good records. I have an EXCEL spreadsheet that tells when the animals came in, who brought it in and why, what it is and any info known about it, and its eventual disposition.

Remember, you're a rescue, not a refuge. This means you don't keep the animals you are given, but rather, you find good homes for them and adopt them out. "Refuge" is a whole other ball game.

Will and I sell turtles and tortoises, but anything that comes to me as a rescue is NEVER sold. They are adopted out for free. I don't make money off rescues.

Good luck with your endeavor. It is very satisfying, but quite a bit of work.

 

[Yvonne G]

"M.O.U." = Memorandum of Understanding. This gives you permission from the State to handle the local turtles and tortoises.

 

[Yvonne G]

Well, you folks have been very entertaining and informative (read sarcasm), but it's time for me to go outside. . . time to brave the elements. . . time to trudge off into the hard, cruel world, and feed and take care of my animals. See (or not, as the case may be) you all later.

(I think I'll take my camera with me and snap off a few shots to share with you when I come back inside)

 

[EllieMay]

Sounds like a plan to me! We'll make a day of it... Afternoon tea with @Moozillion (Bea), then maybe we can fit in a brief wine and cheese tasting, then a not-too-heavy dinner, then a relaxing beer? Someone else can be on kid duty.

A woman after my own heart..I’ll need the date after the 5yr old birthday party at the trampoline park today[emoji28]

 

[EllieMay]

Have an awesome Saturday everyone.

Here is some sunshine and warmth for you all.View attachment 259078

Gorgeous!

 

[EllieMay]

Happy Saturday One n All

Took some scrolling to get caught up, looks like @CarolM was busy

Cold start to our day, pretty much entire region below freezing - but, the big storm that started in California, drenched Texas, and is moving East, will miss us to the South. No snow here.

View attachment 259079

My dock is under water :-(

 

[Yvonne G]

It's a foggy day schedule, so I fed everyone in their sheds and had to leave their doors closed.

The desert tortoise babies have eaten, now they're piled up under what they think is the sun:


The leopard babies have eaten and they've all headed for the hills:

This is inside their cave. You can barely see Leonard in there:

The food tub and baby bowl:

The painted turtle with the abscess that has to live indoors until I fix his abscess:

Several box turtles that have to be in for various reasons:

When I open my back door to go outside, this is my view directly opposite the door. Tony the Tiger, a feral tom cat that is vicious. I'm pretty much afraid of him, but I feel safe offering him food through the lattice barrier:

Charlie getting his morning treat:

The car port that is no longer a 'car' port, but rather, a tort port:

Baby desert tortoises on the tort port, various ages from two years to one year:

This is where my russian group is brumating. The plastic is because the tort port roof leaks:

Moving past the greenhouse, going to the leopards, I stop to turn off the heater;

Little orange tree in the leopard yard. They still have a bit of green on them, but they'll be ready soon:

Inside the SA leopard shed are two tort tables on the walls:

This is Lil' Kim, a rescue from Kim in So Cal. She rescued him from poor conditions a couple years ago:

A stunted SA leopard from SoCal is in the other tort table:

Spencer, waiting patiently for her morning snack outside the Manouria shed:

In the tort table on a wall in the Manouria shed are two yearling Manouria:

The YFs can't go outside because it's too cold, so I have to feed them in their shed:



The babcocks also have to stay indoors until the sun comes out. The little male on the left is in tort jail because he's too randy to be with the others. But he goes outside when the sun shines:

I had a bit of food left over, so Dudley gets a snack. He says it's never too cold or too foggy for him:

And now, the bane of my existence - LEAVES!!!

Misty thinks piles of leaves is great fun. You can't tell from the picture, but she was running around like a crazy person, then she'd pounce on a pile of leaves with her two front feet and take off running again:

All piled up and ready to distribute:

I pick them up and take them to the box turtle yard:

From left to right, the Floridas, the luteolas and the three toes:

The easterns (I see the sun is starting to peek out a bit, so in a half hour or so I'll open all the shed doors:

 

[Maro2Bear]

My dock is under water :-(

Really?

 

[Maro2Bear]

A natural frozen ornament courtesy of Father Frost

 

[Momof4]

Walks in CDR [emoji102] around and sees a girl who turned 49 today.

 

[Momof4]

It's a foggy day schedule, so I fed everyone in their sheds and had to leave their doors closed.

The desert tortoise babies have eaten, now they're piled up under what they think is the sun:

View attachment 259103
The leopard babies have eaten and they've all headed for the hills:
View attachment 259104
This is inside their cave. You can barely see Leonard in there:
View attachment 259105
The food tub and baby bowl:
View attachment 259106
The painted turtle with the abscess that has to live indoors until I fix his abscess:
View attachment 259107
Several box turtles that have to be in for various reasons:
View attachment 259108
When I open my back door to go outside, this is my view directly opposite the door. Tony the Tiger, a feral tom cat that is vicious. I'm pretty much afraid of him, but I feel safe offering him food through the lattice barrier:
View attachment 259109
Charlie getting his morning treat:
View attachment 259110
The car port that is no longer a 'car' port, but rather, a tort port:
View attachment 259111
Baby desert tortoises on the tort port, various ages from two years to one year:
View attachment 259112
This is where my russian group is brumating. The plastic is because the tort port roof leaks:
View attachment 259113
Moving past the greenhouse, going to the leopards, I stop to turn off the heater;
View attachment 259114
Little orange tree in the leopard yard. They still have a bit of green on them, but they'll be ready soon:
View attachment 259115
Inside the SA leopard shed are two tort tables on the walls:
View attachment 259116
This is Lil' Kim, a rescue from Kim in So Cal. She rescued him from poor conditions a couple years ago:
View attachment 259117
A stunted SA leopard from SoCal is in the other tort table:
View attachment 259118
Spencer, waiting patiently for her morning snack outside the Manouria shed:
View attachment 259119
In the tort table on a wall in the Manouria shed are two yearling Manouria:
View attachment 259120
The YFs can't go outside because it's too cold, so I have to feed them in their shed:
View attachment 259121

View attachment 259122
The babcocks also have to stay indoors until the sun comes out. The little male on the left is in tort jail because he's too randy to be with the others. But he goes outside when the sun shines:
View attachment 259123
I had a bit of food left over, so Dudley gets a snack. He says it's never too cold or too foggy for him:
View attachment 259124
And now, the bane of my existence - LEAVES!!!
View attachment 259125
Misty thinks piles of leaves is great fun. You can't tell from the picture, but she was running around like a crazy person, then she'd pounce on a pile of leaves with her two front feet and take off running again:
View attachment 259126
All piled up and ready to distribute:
View attachment 259127
I pick them up and take them to the box turtle yard:
View attachment 259128
From left to right, the Floridas, the luteolas and the three toes:
View attachment 259129
The easterns (I see the sun is starting to peek out a bit, so in a half hour or so I'll open all the shed doors:
View attachment 259130

Love your pics Yvonne!!
I can totally see Misty running around playing with the leaves!

 

[Momof4]

A natural frozen ornament courtesy of Father Frost

View attachment 259131

Wow!! That is so cool!!

 

[Pastel Tortie]

It's a foggy day schedule, so I fed everyone in their sheds and had to leave their doors closed.

The desert tortoise babies have eaten, now they're piled up under what they think is the sun:

View attachment 259103
The leopard babies have eaten and they've all headed for the hills:
View attachment 259104
This is inside their cave. You can barely see Leonard in there:
View attachment 259105
The food tub and baby bowl:
View attachment 259106
The painted turtle with the abscess that has to live indoors until I fix his abscess:
View attachment 259107
Several box turtles that have to be in for various reasons:
View attachment 259108
When I open my back door to go outside, this is my view directly opposite the door. Tony the Tiger, a feral tom cat that is vicious. I'm pretty much afraid of him, but I feel safe offering him food through the lattice barrier:
View attachment 259109
Charlie getting his morning treat:
View attachment 259110
The car port that is no longer a 'car' port, but rather, a tort port:
View attachment 259111
Baby desert tortoises on the tort port, various ages from two years to one year:
View attachment 259112
This is where my russian group is brumating. The plastic is because the tort port roof leaks:
View attachment 259113
Moving past the greenhouse, going to the leopards, I stop to turn off the heater;
View attachment 259114
Little orange tree in the leopard yard. They still have a bit of green on them, but they'll be ready soon:
View attachment 259115
Inside the SA leopard shed are two tort tables on the walls:
View attachment 259116
This is Lil' Kim, a rescue from Kim in So Cal. She rescued him from poor conditions a couple years ago:
View attachment 259117
A stunted SA leopard from SoCal is in the other tort table:
View attachment 259118
Spencer, waiting patiently for her morning snack outside the Manouria shed:
View attachment 259119
In the tort table on a wall in the Manouria shed are two yearling Manouria:
View attachment 259120
The YFs can't go outside because it's too cold, so I have to feed them in their shed:
View attachment 259121

View attachment 259122
The babcocks also have to stay indoors until the sun comes out. The little male on the left is in tort jail because he's too randy to be with the others. But he goes outside when the sun shines:
View attachment 259123
I had a bit of food left over, so Dudley gets a snack. He says it's never too cold or too foggy for him:
View attachment 259124
And now, the bane of my existence - LEAVES!!!
View attachment 259125
Misty thinks piles of leaves is great fun. You can't tell from the picture, but she was running around like a crazy person, then she'd pounce on a pile of leaves with her two front feet and take off running again:
View attachment 259126
All piled up and ready to distribute:
View attachment 259127
I pick them up and take them to the box turtle yard:
View attachment 259128
From left to right, the Floridas, the luteolas and the three toes:
View attachment 259129
The easterns (I see the sun is starting to peek out a bit, so in a half hour or so I'll open all the shed doors:
View attachment 259130

WOW, Yvonne! That's a fantastic tour, just being able to tag along with you when you go out to feed everybody and do your morning tort care...and kitty breakfasts, too.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Walks in CDR [emoji102] around and sees a girl who turned 49 today.

Happy birthday!

 

[Kristoff]

Walks in CDR [emoji102] around and sees a girl who turned 49 today.

Happy birthday, Kathy!!! Best wishes!!! [emoji173]️[emoji173]️[emoji173]️

But it’s 29, surely

 

[Kristoff]

Morning everyone. Well, off to rescue another tort today, 3 hour drive one way, not to bad.

Karma points!!!

 

[Kristoff]

Back when I worked for an emergency management agency, one of my positions dealt with planning and exercises at nuclear plants. Three Mile Island is probably still the most famous (infamous) in the U.S., even though the incident in all honesty and fairness wasn't a big deal.

So, for several years now, when someone in conversation mentions too much personal information, my response has often been, "TMI doesn't always stand for Three Mile Island." It's also a good reminder to people who tend to speak in acronyms that they should define those acronyms in conversation, as well as in writing.

Did you get glowing reviews of your work?
[emoji6]

 

[Kristoff]

Well, you folks have been very entertaining and informative (read sarcasm), but it's time for me to go outside. . . time to brave the elements. . . time to trudge off into the hard, cruel world, and feed and take care of my animals. See (or not, as the case may be) you all later.

(I think I'll take my camera with me and snap off a few shots to share with you when I come back inside)

Have to stop at this post for tonight.

You have been informative, Yvonne. See, it happens even in the CDR. [emoji23]

Looking forward to your pictures! [emoji173]️