Florida tortoise "rescue"

[ZEROPILOT]

Has anyone else had any dealings with Florida tortoise rescue from Homestead Florida?
My recent dealings with "Dan" have left me with anything but a good impression.
My impression is that he is a FLAT OUT hoarder and retailer masquerading as a rescue.
He is very shady at best.
Beware.

 

[daniel reyes]

Hello, This is Daniel from the Florida tortoise rescue. (The little tortoise place)
The person making this comment is angry because I refused to adopt out a tortoise to them. I am not a hoarder in any way, nor a retailer, nor breeder! If a person has never had the opertunity to visit my facility they should not be so quick to judge. I often refuse adoptions to people whom I feel may be breeders, or not suitable candidates for many other reasons, as we feel that breeders only contribute to the problem of over population, especially for certain species. I only try to unite tortoises with the best possible loving homes, and have many pictures and testimonials from families who have adopted from us.
We do have adoption fees, but this is only to fund the rescue, as a non for profit 501c3 rescue we are funded only by adoption fees and donations. Donations are few and far apart. We have a very reasonable adoption fee program and all proceeds go directly back into the care and improvement of the life we provide for the animals we love.
I spend far more out of pocket than I make in any given year, but I don't mind the loss for one second because the true value for us is in helping the animals we love.

It's sad it's so easy for people to judge us and make a negative coment just because they didn't get their way
If anyone has delt with us they know that I personally answer the phone at any time of day or night, and try to provide assistance and advice if it's within my knowledge, if I don't have an honest answer I make sure to guide people in the right direction. I get up at 6:00 am every morning, make sure that my wife and daughter are ready for their day, then dedicate myself to caring for our rescue animals, and personal pets.

I only wish that instead of passing judgement or bad mouthing a rescue like mine that people would offer their help, and I don't only mean donations, even a couple bags of mulch, a head of romaine lettuce, or hay for the tortoises is a great help. People have very little clue what all it takes to run a rescue, and the heartbreaking things we have to deal with.
Please don't be so quick to judge, or make rude comments based on a picture you might have seen on our website. I recently received a rude anonymous letter from a visiter to my website stating that the tortoises I care for look unhealthy and that I'm feeding them a bad diet.
First off, I run a rescue, a lot of the tortoises we take in have had terrible neglected lives and we do our best to improve upon their conditions, but once the damage has been done to their shells it cannot be reversed so we have no control over the way they look. All we can do is provide a better life for them than what they have had.
As for the food, we receive food donations from grocery stores and do the best to feed the animals with what we can provide for them. I have been doing this a long time, well over twenty years, and just because you read something in a book or on the Internet, it doesn't mean it's 100 percent correct. I know what works and what does not as far as feeding and feed the tortoises the best foods available. Just because you see a a couple pieces of fruit in a picture doesn't mean we feed that to our tortoises on a daily basis. Although some foods can be bad for a tortoise if over fed these items, in moderation they will not hurt the tortoise. We also know the food items that can have a very negative effect on tortoises and avoid these items all together.

Don't be so quick to judge a rescue, and until you have lived our life day in and day out, you may never understand the difficulties that caring for the animals we love comes with.

 

[daniel reyes]

Here is proof to any in doubt that "Zeropilot" has an interest in breeding, which as a tortoise rescue I do not condone.
Our interest is in finding homes for existing tortoises that need good loving homes, not adding to the problem by encouraging tortoises to breed. If we find that a tortoise lays eggs we do not allow the eggs to hatch in order to keep the population in control.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Daniel. Sorry. I stand behind my statement 100%.
I wish you no harm.
Just trying to help out my fellow members who don't have the time to waste.
You know the crap that took place.
I was and am totally disappointed.
Period.
Quick to judge? Really! Two weeks of texts and phone calls to find out that you don't even have the tortoise I want....
Also , your 20 years if experience rivals my own.
Also not in itself very impressive.

 

[daniel reyes]

Daniel. Sorry. I stand behind my statement 100%.
I wish you no harm.
Just trying to help out my fellow members who don't have the time to waste.
You know the crap that took place.
I was and am totally disappointed.
Period.
Quick to judge? Really! Two weeks of texts and phone calls to find out that you don't even have the tortoise I want....
Also , your 20 years if experience rivals my own.
Also not in itself very impressive.

As a rescue owner, it is my decision if to adopt out a tortoise to you or not. Wether I have one I could adopt to you is not the point. The fact that you are attempting to breed tortoises goes against what we stand for, and is the reason you where denied a tortoise. We do not condone breeding of tortoise species that are way over bred.
I was very polite to you and even apologized for the inconvenience. You did not reply and instead made a slanderous review on the Internet for all to read.
We love these creatures more than you can imagine. We are not any of the things you have acused us of being, and your comments are unfounded and very hateful.
I feel sorry you need to act in the way you have acted.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I told you WHY I wanted a male on our very first contact...before you had me fill out the adoption form. .six times.
Before we spoke on the phone, texted and Emailed at least another 6 to 10 times.
And way before you told me to drive down on Sunday.
You wasted my time. Period.
You are NOT professional. Period.
That was the reason for my post. To save others from your strange antics.
We are a family of sorts here and I am entirely within my rights to post what I did.
I stand by my opinion.

 

[Yvonne G]

You've both had your say and a rebuttal. It's time for you both to stop. If there are any other folks with first hand knowledge of this Rescue, please feel free to comment. The thread will be closed soon.

Zeropilot and Daniel - you may argue back and forth in a private conversation. No more of your posts will be allowed here on the thread.