Sulcata For Adoption - DFW Area, TX

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ra94131

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I'm currently considering offering my 3.5 year old male sulcata up for adoption. He is very healthy and has been a quick grower. I'll provide a few pictures and detailed measurements this weekend, but his shell is very healthy aside from a slight indentation in the upper posterior that has been there since he was a couple months old. Last measurement had him at around 11 pounds, but I'd guess he has put on a few more since then, and he's roughly a foot long. Since he was very little his diet has consisted of a mix of grass and spring mix (or other available greens from the grocery store), plus occasional Mazuri when temperatures limit his grazing.

He lives outside full-time and has since he was under a year old. His heated and insulated shed (you can see some pictures in my post history of the build) includes a radiant heat panel and older HerpStat ND as well as a simple light/timer. I'd be willing to include this with the adoption, but it is very heavy and difficult to move, so unless you are very local and/or have a heavy duty vehicle it's going to be difficult.

I'd hate to part with him, and still might not, but my family and I are relocating to the Denver, CO area and, though I think I could still keep him responsibly, the significant additional effort during the winter months there and his best interests have prompted me to make this post.

I would very much like to find him a great home, but I will also likely be very particular about who I would hand him off to. I am willing to drive a significant distance and provide any support I can to the right person to take care of him.
 

ra94131

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Rachel,
Thanks for the quick response and interest. I sent you a message.

All,
Just a quick note: I am more than open to an individual adopting Rasputin, but if you are affiliated with a 501c(3) organization please let me know.
 

PhatNguyen

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Jul 8, 2015
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Hello, I also live in he DFW area and could provide great care for him, not so far away from your place.
 

JShubert

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Hi, I am a teacher at a middle school in Pflugerville, tx for the special needs children. We are looking for a tortoise for a class pet to learn about during science and also to have for our life skills class on the importance of taking care of animals and proper feeding and cleaning. We also work with a vets office located down the street and 2 students go there twice a week to help so we would have access to a vet for check ups. I thought rescuing a pet would be way better and a good life lesson for our kids than buying one from petco. When school is out i will care for the pet personally. I live in hutto on a full acre with my 2 mastiffs, corgi, and hedgehogs.
Please I would love to talk further on your tortoise
[email protected]
 

bethanniem

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I will surely take him. My family currently includes 2 sulcatas and they are thriving in their back yard home and they even have a big indoor room for winters. I can come get him or meet half way. I am here in San Antonio so I am not that far. My email is [email protected]
 

Darrell Simpson

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Hello, I would be interested in adopting your tortoise . I have a heated climate controlled tortoise house and a fenced yard with lots of grazing available , I am in Rockwall and am ready if you are . If you want pictures and more info please contact me, we would provide a forever home here with us .
 

ra94131

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We have decided that we are definitely going to be re-homing Rasputin. I am not looking for any fee; I simply want to find the best 'forever' home possible for him. Anyone wishing to be considered will need to submit a few pictures of the available habitat and answer the below questions:

1) Please describe your experience and/or research into caring for large tortoises (or other relevant experience).

2) Please describe the habitat/resource you have available to care for Rasputin.

3) Do you have any other pets/captives? Would any of these be sharing space with Rasputin?

4) What is your long-term plan for Rasputin? (He could live for another century, so I'm not expecting the next owner to be the absolute last, but I'd like to know your thoughts on the subject.)

5) Are you a breeder of any species of reptiles? Or plan to be in the future?

In return, I will send pictures of Rasputin and any other information you request. I am more than willing to travel to your location to deliver Rasputin. I will also gladly provide my personal contact information in the event you have questions following delivery.

I appreciate everyone's time and consideration.

Thank you!
 

Darrell Simpson

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Hi ra94131 , We moved during Christmas, we thought making use of so many days off was a good Idea, well it wasn't . We bought a smaller home in Rockwall on a small pond . When we moved our 80 lb. tortoise and his heated home to his new yard I checked the fence which is chain link . The day after we moved in Oliver our tortoise went out and tested the fence himself and successfully broke the wires attaching the fence to the posts and under the fence he went . I found him almost exactly three weeks later, I searched everyday but I was about a day too late . I know how to contain a large tortoise, but I misjudged his eagerness to be out of his house in the cold weather and challenging the fence , I knew I needed to add 2x6's so he couldn't see through the fence and the 2x6's I used at his previous enclosure worked great . This is why we have a empty disease free tortoise home . We have about 10yrs experience with him . We got him as a rescue . We have extensive knowledge of Sulcata's dietary need's , which plants are good and bad . The house is 4ft. by 8ft. with 4 ft. tall insulated walls . There is a thermostatically controlled heater and hog matt with a circulation fan . The hog matt has adjustable voltage so it does not get too hot and I have a temp gun to constantly monitor temps . We are not interested in ever breeding tortoises . We have a pug who doesn't care about anything but his food dish and a 9 lb. Morkie , ( Maltese - Yorkie ) Neither dog has ever acted interested in Oliver and would run away when Oliver got to curious . We were very dedicated in cleaning up after the dogs so the tortoise diet didn't include the dogs land mines . My 23 yr old son seems very interested in keeping the tortoise after my wife and I can no longer care for him . Barring any disasters this is our retirement home . Its on 1 acre and the tortoise enclosure was planned to get larger as Oliver grew . Right now the fenced yard is 50 ft. x 80 ft. of grass and large shade tree's . I could have the yard tortoise proof in a day like I should have with Oliver . The only thing that I occasionally breed is dart frogs. I also wanted to mention I am 50 yrs. old and retired . Thanks for maybe considering us .
 

Rue

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Hi, I am a teacher at a middle school in Pflugerville, tx for the special needs children. We are looking for a tortoise for a class pet to learn about during science and also to have for our life skills class on the importance of taking care of animals and proper feeding and cleaning. We also work with a vets office located down the street and 2 students go there twice a week to help so we would have access to a vet for check ups. I thought rescuing a pet would be way better and a good life lesson for our kids than buying one from petco. When school is out i will care for the pet personally. I live in hutto on a full acre with my 2 mastiffs, corgi, and hedgehogs.
Please I would love to talk further on your tortoise
[email protected]

OT: Since you are a teacher and looking for a class pet, I was going to suggest that a tortoise might just be both too needy and too 'shy' to handle the attention of a large group of children.

Also, 'rescuing' an animal means your are taking it from a bad, or neglectful home, and providing it with better or ideal living conditions, which is hardly the case here. In this instance it would only be a rehome. Bringing an animal home from the pet store actually comes much closer to the concept of a rescue. The problem with buying from a pet store is that it encourages sales. So if you buy from a poor quality (from an animal care point of view) pet store...they will have made money...and will order more to sell - and still keep them in poor conditions until sold. Regardless, most pet stores keep their animals in good or reasonably short-term housing, so I'm not sure what the 'life lesson' would actually be.

If you are interested in an actual 'rescue', I'd suggest the want ads (such as Kijiji or your local version thereof) - odds are you will find an unwanted animal in need of a new home there. If you go that route, I'd also suggest you have some money put away for a vet visit and to deal with any health concerns the animal might have. Although the vet clinic you have access to might give you a discount.
 

Cheryl Hills

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OT: Since you are a teacher and looking for a class pet, I was going to suggest that a tortoise might just be both too needy and too 'shy' to handle the attention of a large group of children.

Also, 'rescuing' an animal means your are taking it from a bad, or neglectful home, and providing it with better or ideal living conditions, which is hardly the case here. In this instance it would only be a rehome. Bringing an animal home from the pet store actually comes much closer to the concept of a rescue. The problem with buying from a pet store is that it encourages sales. So if you buy from a poor quality (from an animal care point of view) pet store...they will have made money...and will order more to sell - and still keep them in poor conditions until sold. Regardless, most pet stores keep their animals in good or reasonably short-term housing, so I'm not sure what the 'life lesson' would actually be.

If you are interested in an actual 'rescue', I'd suggest the want ads (such as Kijiji or your local version thereof) - odds are you will find an unwanted animal in need of a new home there. If you go that route, I'd also suggest you have some money put away for a vet visit and to deal with any health concerns the animal might have. Although the vet clinic you have access to might give you a discount.

This person never said how they were housing or was going to house the tort. Aren't you jumping the gun a bit! And as for live skills, it has been proven many many times, some animals can help bring mentally disable childer out of there shells. You know nothing of the program this person is talking about, how the animal will be housed or anything, and you put them down! Please, give people a chance. We are here to help them learn, not degrade what they say!
 

Rue

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This person never said how they were housing or was going to house the tort. Aren't you jumping the gun a bit! And as for live skills, it has been proven many many times, some animals can help bring mentally disable childer out of there shells. You know nothing of the program this person is talking about, how the animal will be housed or anything, and you put them down! Please, give people a chance. We are here to help them learn, not degrade what they say!

I never put anyone down! Who's jumping the gun?

I don't think - from what I've learned and am experiencing - that a tortoise is a good classroom pet. I have no idea what special needs these children have, she didn't say - and I didn't address that because my issue is with the suitability of the animal in that situation - not what issues the children may have. I would guess that other animals are more suitable for a classroom environment - and I am familiar with kids in classrooms. Are you familiar with this classroom and with the program/teacher? Am I missing something about some program?

My issue with the learning of life skills has nothing to do with the value of looking after a pet. It was with the concept of rescuing an animal that's not in need of "rescuing" versus actually rescuing one that needs it.

I thought I was helping. I was hoping an animal actually in need would find a good home.
 

Darrell Simpson

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Apr 15, 2016
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ra94131 do you by any chance have an idea when you might make a decision on who might get to adopt Rasputin , we have a flat bed trailer to load his current house onto and move here . I have avoided pm to you since I am sure you have many people already PMing you as it is .
 
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