ETOBICOKE GUARDIAN (Etobicoke, Ontario) 10 October 04 Beloved tortoise stolen from popular pet store (Joe Fantauzzi)
Owners of a lakeshore pet store were shell-shocked when they found their pet tortoise had been stolen this week.
New Toronto's favourite resident reptile was lifted from Pet Stuff, located in the Islington Avenue and Lakeshore Boulevard West area, a week ago and hasn't been seen since.
"We have her in an aquarium with a Plexiglas lid in our store," Pet Stuff's Bonnie O'Brien told The Weekender within hours of Emily's disappearance. "Somebody walked in the store, picked her up and took her out."
Bonnie said a preliminary search for the 10-year-old turtle has already taken place.
"We phoned every exotic pet dealer in the area to see if any tortoises had been brought in," said Bonnie. "She's valuable but I don't know if it was for money."
Bonnie added an unfamiliar and suspicious man was in the store asking questions about the lethargic lizard right before Emily's disappearance.
"He asked if (Emily) was for sale and I said no, she's a pet," said Bonnie. "He said I'm very interested in turtles and tortoises and then he was gone. I don't know if it was him or not but I'd never seen him before."
Bonnie's mother Sharon O'Brien, the operator of Pet Stuff, told the Guardian on Thursday that she has another theory.
"It could be an animal activist who wants Emily to live somewhere else," said O'Brien. "Everyone is just horrified."
O'Brien added the entire neighbourhood -- especially children who live in the area are very upset.
"Two children who come in here to see Emily have gone away in tears," said O'Brien. "Whenever I tell someone, they're horrified because it's miserable."
The police have been contacted about Emily and an official missing tortoise report has been filled out, said O'Brien.
"What if they went in somewhere and did a raid and they found her?" said O'Brien. "It's happened."
O'Brien describes Emily as a Uruguayan red-footed land tortoise with red marks on her legs and about 10-inches in diameter. Emily's shell is raised with bumps -- not smooth. She is very docile and interested in people.
If you have any information about Emily call Pet Stuff at 416-503-0434.
Beloved tortoise stolen from popular pet store