Caring for a turtle is a long-term commitment
I am an 80-year-old woman who has a redstriped turtle. I’ve had him for over 10 years. Unfortunately, I’m no longer able to care for him. Do you know a place that will take him?
Maureen, Helotes
Dear Maureen, Red-eared sliders are so named because they have a red stripe behind their eyes and like to slide off rocks into the water. They are the most common pet turtle in the United States. They can live 30 years and grow to 10 to 12 inches. They require 10 gallons of water per inch, so a fullgrown red-slider would need a minimum of a 120-gallon tank to live in.
I say all this to discourage people from buying a turtle since their longevity makes them three times the commitment of a dog or cat and rehoming them can be difficult.
Let friends and family know you need to rehome your turtle first. You will feel better knowing to whom and where your pet is going.
Another option is Central Texas Tortoise Rescue (texastortoiserescue.com/) in San Marcos. It is a small operation and often relies on foster families until homes can be found.
They screen potential adopters and educate them on how to care for their turtles. If they don’t have space, there may be a waiting list.
Local animal shelters do not accept turtles. A
city shelter may take a turtle, but it will look for a rescue group, which in our area is Central Texas Tortoise Rescue.
I know you will not abandon your turtle in the wild, Maureen, but some people do. So let me just add that abandonment is not only unethical but illegal. Pet turtles don’t have the skills to survive in the wild, and most die. If they do survive, they can edge out native species of turtles in a fight for habitat or food.
So, either rehome a turtle or find a rescue group that can take him.
Dear Cathy,
I take issue with your stance on feral cats. They need to be removed by the city. I shouldn’t have to tolerate them pooping in my yard and digging up my flower beds. Something must be done.
Dear Mark,
Lots of people disagree with me, but that doesn’t change my viewpoint.
Through no fault of their own, community cats are pets that have been dumped by their owners or are the offspring of those cats. Trapneuter-return, or TNR, has long been the humane solution for managing community cats nationwide. The goal is to reduce their numbers through attrition, not by rounding them up and killing them.
We need to convince people to stop abandoning their pets. That would stop the problem immediately.