frustrated about sulcata needing to be rescued...

[Camirdra]

A local guy found a large male sulcata this week. He's about 50lbs. He's trying to sell it for $300 and is keeping it outside (in eastern Washington) in a 4'x4' area with a dirt floor and chickenwire keeping it in. And he's feeding it CARROTS!!! It also has a cracked lower beak and an underbite. SOOO frustrating! I have tried to talk him into releasing him to me so i'll keep my fingers crossed... Don't know what else to do, poor guy. He won't last long on that diet and with the temps dropping below 40F.

 

[Yvonne G]

Has he tried to find the tortoise's owner? You can place an ad for free in the "found" section of the paper. Try to find out appx. where he found the tortoise, then place the ad. When people call you about it, if you think the person is for real, tell them where the tortoise is.

 

[Camirdra]

I put the info out at the local shelter and vets. He's not going to hand it over to anyone without photographic proof. He didn't even notice it had a broken beak. Just makes me mad that he's more concerned about making a buck then about it's survival.

 

[mattgrizzlybear]

Hope he finds his rightful owner who will care for him

 

[Camirdra]

He wouldn't tell me where he found it. And the crack is vertical on the left then u
it gets to just above his chin (don't know what else to call it) and then it curves around the front to the right. Stupid how mad this makes me. Some people suck.

 

[Laura]

well, when it gets sick and needs a vet,, i bet he will be willing to give it to you then.. :-(

 

[rickyn0792]

Animal control report not taking care of animal

 

[shellysmom]

Let me know if there's anything I can do to help... I'd contribute to his fee if you think his health is in immediate danger. If he's in a 4x4 without heat, and it's in the low 40s there at night, he's going to get sick. I live in FL and have 2 sullies, and I just love them to pieces.

 

[wellington]

Can you make it sound like the cracked beak is infected looking and that he needs to go to the vet or the infection will get to the blood and kill him. Tell him how much the vet bill will be approx. see if he will give you the tort, in exchange for what it will cost you for the vet. Also let him know that most people don't want a large sulcata and that's why there are always so many avaiable for adoption. Then also offer the information needed to get the animal the correct food and warmth. Try your best to educate him on the proper care. Also let him know that if the cracked beak infection, wink, wink, won't kill him, the housing him in the cold non stop will. Good luck. Hope you can scare him enough to get him to give it up.

 

[LuckysGirl007]

Please keep us posted! Poor guy! And what an idiot wanting $300!

 

[Camirdra]

Can you make it sound like the cracked beak is infected looking and that he needs to go to the vet or the infection will get to the blood and kill him. Tell him how much the vet bill will be approx. see if he will give you the tort, in exchange for what it will cost you for the vet. Also let him know that most people don't want a large sulcata and that's why there are always so many avaiable for adoption. Then also offer the information needed to get the animal the correct food and warmth. Try your best to educate him on the proper care. Also let him know that if the cracked beak infection, wink, wink, won't kill him, the housing him in the cold non stop will. Good luck. Hope you can scare him enough to get him to give it up.

lol! That's pretty much what I did! I know it's awful but i'm hoping I guilted him enough that he will give it up. I told him the vet would have to rebuild his lower beak and it would cost well over $300 for the vet bill and follow up vet checks. I also told him if he left him in the cold he would die from exposure or from food rotting in his stomach. And I told him the market is flooded with sulcatas and people wouldn't pay for one with an underbite because he may pass it on to any young.... Terrible huh?!? If he doesn't get back to me I'll have to call animal control and then i'll probably have to go adopt him from the shelter because they aren't setup to keep a sulcata, but then it would be closer to $100. I've even been looking at all my stuff to see what I have that he may trade me for him. I'm thinking my old electric guitar may just be the thing. I don't use it anymore (I got a shiny new Takamine last year!) Keep your fingers crossed for me!!

 

[LuckysGirl007]

*fingers crossed*

 

[lynnedit]

*mine too*

 

[DrewsLife727]

-Drew

 

[Alan RF]

Fingers crossed for you

 

[Eweezyfosheezy]

Good luck! Hopefully you can convince the new owner.

 

[Tortus]

I wouldn't trade him anything for a tortoise that isn't even his that he's keeping in improper conditions. The pen is too small, the weather is wrong, and it's not getting proper food or vet care. Just call animal control and have it removed then get it from them if you can. Even if you can't get it, at least it won't be out there freezing. I'm sure they'll know what to do.

 

[BowandWalter]

Couldn't you just get someone to go with some pictures of a random sulcata, and trick the guy?

 

[shellysmom]

Couldn't you just get someone to go with some pictures of a random sulcata, and trick the guy?

lol, that's what I was thinking.

---

I wouldn't trade him anything for a tortoise that isn't even his that he's keeping in improper conditions. The pen is too small, the weather is wrong, and it's not getting proper food or vet care. Just call animal control and have it removed then get it from them if you can. Even if you can't get it, at least it won't be out there freezing. I'm sure they'll know what to do.

It would be great to just have it removed by animal control, but that really depends on how good AC officers are in the area. A lot of times they don't want to deal with species that aren't dogs or cats, so they just tell the owner to take better care and give them up to 30 days to comply, which would be far too long for this guy. It's very rare for AC to just swoop in and seize an animal immediately. Normally a warrant is required, and they can be hard to get in this type of situation. Although, if you inform animal control when you call, that you would be able to care for the animal, they might be able to convince the guy to relinquish it on the grounds that it needs vet care.

 

[wellington]

Hey, anything you can come up with to save any animal, I say go for it. Not terrible of you at all to what ever needs to be done, to save an animal. So go for whatever plan works. We are all behind you and fingers crossed good luck, keep us informed.