Hello

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Sep 14, 2015
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60
Location (City and/or State)
SoCal
Hello everyone, my name is Jim from Southern California and I've been raising Tortoises for 23 years. I'm 28 years old and work/own a small business with my very small family.

When I was a small boy I was shown a cartoon by my older cousin, that is known as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turles and ever since then I have had an obsession with Tortoises. After seeing this show I asked my father for two things, a turtle and to sign me up for karate lessons. My interest in martial arts faded due to my lack of coordination but my love for Tortoises never died.

When I was 5 my dad bought me my first adult Red Eared Silder, and it died almost as soon as I got it. So he got me another and it died almost as fast as the first one. I learned that if one acquires a Red Eared Slider, then one must first perpare a grave for they die very easily. My father being a frugal man decided to stop wasting his money on sliders and instead got a license to own a Mojave Desert Tortoise. It was my Mojave Desert Tortoise, who I named Dave, that changed my life forever and set me on the course that I am on right now.

Dave was the Dog my father never allowed me to have. Dave would follow me around our property, rest on my feet and let me scratch his neck. As a child I felt as if Dave would be in my life forever. After 9 or so years of caring for Dave, he disappeared. My family and I searched high and low and never found him.

7 years went by when one day on my way to my morning college classes a tortoise with a messed up shell came walking down my driveway. The shell showed clear signs that it had been struck by a small vehicle, and upon further inspection I found on the underside of his shell where his hind legs hide a faded permanent marker property marking that read "Property of Jim."

I was blown away that Dave returned but what the hell had he been through? Well my family and I were happy regardless and we told all our friends of his return. One of those friends happened to work for the city's animal control, who informed us of a family looking for a tortoise of Dave's description. When we saw the pictures there was no doubt that these people had been keeping Dave for the past 7 years.

The family asked he be returned but we refused outright, #1 they didn't have a permit for him and #2 he was mine first. Well, the woman from the other family asked to meet with me and she showed a picture that sealed Dave's fate. The woman had 4 young children that absolutely adored Dave, and the picture she showed me were her children huddled around Dave with huge grins. I told her I would turn Dave over to her if she got a permit, and when she did I kept my word. It was hard giving Dave up, but I couldn't take him away from those kids, plus I know how hard it is to have your tortoise go missing. Dave is living the good life on a property that is over an acre with people that worship him. I think Dave is roughly 78 years old now, I still miss him too. Turns out, when Dave escaped my home he made it two streets up and got hit by a car that was owned by the family that cares for Dave now. I guess they were racked with guilt for almost killing him, they decided to fix him up and keep him.

Dave is the foundation for my love for Tortoises. Now I have a small herd that is slowly growing. I have 5 Russians, 4 females and 1 male. The male is named Captain Ivan Drago due to my dog knocking a 1 pound clay brick onto him from 4ft up. He was knocked out for a bit but fine in the end, my dog got a whoopin though. My females are named Oola, Corky, Rosie, and Pearl.

I also have a 1 year old Marginated Tortoise and a 3 month old Pancake named Bob that was born on July 4th.

So that's my story, I look forward to being more involved on this forum. Hope you liked my story.
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Jim, and welcome to the forum!

What a wonderful introductory thread! I always knew tortoises were territorial and would try to find their way home if displaced, but this story blows my mind! You were so generous to give the tortoise back to those people. I'm not sure I would have been able to be so generous.
 

Tidgy's Dad

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Hello, Jim, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum to you and all your tortoises.
Goodness what a story and what an intro thread!
Read, learn, share, contribute and have fun!
 

wellington

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Hello and Welcome. I agree with Yvonne, except I know I would not have been able to give him back. Kids don't get to me that way. Nice of you though.
 

Jodie

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Hello and welcome. I enjoyed reading your story. Not sure I would have given him back either.
 
Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Messages
60
Location (City and/or State)
SoCal
Hi Jim, and welcome to the forum!

What a wonderful introductory thread! I always knew tortoises were territorial and would try to find their way home if displaced, but this story blows my mind! You were so generous to give the tortoise back to those people. I'm not sure I would have been able to be so generous.

Dave lives maybe 3 blocks from me now, so I don't find it all that surprising looking back on it. My grandfather used to keep a pair back in 50's 60's before they were endangered, he told me some stories similar to mine. If I remember right, my grandpa and grandma divorced and my grandpa left his tortoises behind. So my grandma dumped them in a field down the road thinking they would just wander off, but they just wandered back. She would leave the gate open to the outside world and they would leave, but always come back. This was a different time though, when our town was small and not the bustling Suburb it is today. People were used to seeing them in the area anyways and left them alone, today they either get picked up by someone, or just get hit by a car. It's sad that most people can't learn to live alongside them.

Anyways, thanks for the warm welcome.
 

lisa127

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Hello and welcome! I loved the story as well, up until the part about the dog. Poor dog. :(
 

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