Expert: Lee Meyer - 2/8/2009

Question
i saw a turtle in a shop, since last year he has been in the same 20gal aquarium continously in water,no ones gona buy it because it has his shell damaged. what should i do .
should i buy it and release it,
if i buy it, wont this thing promote the selling of turtles ?
i get hurt when ever i think about it or see it

Answer
Hi Wajid,

what the turtle most likely needs is a good reptile vet to examine it, clean out the damaged area, and put a little antibiotics on it and have someone take care of the turtle while the shell repairs itself.  If they can have someone watch after them while the shell heals, eventually they could be released if you wanted to do that, but personally he would be better off with a caring person such as yourself taking care of him (watching out for him) rather than going into the wild).  

You would not want all your effort to be wasted if a car hit him or something kills him.  You hardly would be doing him a favor to 'let him free' only to put him in a dangerous environment without any survival skills.  Most people who want to free animals fail to realize the animals they are freeing are not equipped to be free because they have no survival skills.  you will probably become attached to him and he will be better off in your good care than on his own.  Read up on what turtles need, diet-wise and environment-wise so you can keep him healthy.   

Ask the pet shop owner/manager - whoever can make a big decision - about the turtle.  Tell them you know he's been there a long time and that he won't sell with a damaged shell, tell them you're willing to take him from them and get him to a vet for care.  It frees up a tank for them, and gets care for the turtle.  Take some pictures of the turtle with a digital camera there showing the damage.  If they don't seem to want to, you can always bring it up with your local humane officer and show them.

Lee