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absolutely DISGUSTING. the people who did this need to die in a fire -- VERY SLOWLY.

Autistic child's tortoise mutilated

VENTURA, Calif., July 14 (UPI) -- Police are looking for whoever stole and mutilated an autistic California child's 42-pound pet tortoise.

Bob, an African spurred tortoise, was in guarded condition Saturday after thieves stole him July 7 and tried to cut his neck and slice his legs from his shell, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.

There is a $3,500 reward and Ventura police said they are searching for three people, who could face felony charges of theft and torture of an endangered species.

Dorothy and Bill Sullivan of Ventura have had Bob for 10 years, and he is especially loved by their 6-year-old autistic son William, said Jeanie Vaughan of Turtle Dreams rehabilitation center in Montecito. The Sullivans took Bob to Turtle Dreams after finding him brutalized behind a nearby apartment building.

William, whose autism makes him wary of talking to people, freely chatted with 25-year-old Bob, whose species is known to grunt, whistle and croak in response.

"Now he's scared to death that not only has he lost his friend, but that whoever did this are going to come after him too," Vaughan said.
link

Calif. Tortured Tortoise Recovering

Saturday July 14, 2007 12:46 AM

VENTURA, Calif. (AP) - An endangered pet tortoise named Bob was stolen
from his home and violently mutilated, authorities said, but is
recovering.

Bob was snatched from his owners' yard last weekend, stabbed, slashed
and dumped in brush behind an apartment complex, authorities said. The
42-pound African spurred tortoise was moved to a rehabilitation center
this week after experts repaired his many wounds.

Police had several suspects and could make an arrest next week,
officials said.

``He's doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances,''
said Jeanie Vaughan, owner of Turtle Dreams, the Montecito
rehabilitation center. ``He's still very much with us. I'm sure he's
still hurting a lot and still very much shy, which is not the way he
was before the attack.''

Barring infection, ``he should be all right'' but may have to remain
at the center through the summer, she said.

The 25-year-old tortoise belongs to Dorothy and Bill Sullivan and is a
special friend of their 6-year-old autistic son, who rarely spoke to
people but chattered to the animal. The Sullivans live in Ventura,
which is about 65 miles west of Los Angeles along the Pacific Coast.

The attacker or attackers tried to get the animal out of its shell,
officials said.

``They threw this 40-pound turtle against a brick wall. You could see
blood where the leg was (hurt) ... they tried to rip the leg out of
the shell,'' police Sgt. Jack Richards said.

Razor blades also were used to cut the leg, Richards said, but Bob's
tough hide and heavy musculature foiled that. He had three deep wounds
to his neck and legs, including one that went through his thigh, along
with lesser stab wounds to his shell.

He has been confined to a tub with a fly-proof cover and had a feeding
tube in his neck.

The Sullivans visited Bob for two hours on Wednesday. He stayed in his
shell.

``He was so scared. Seeing his wounds was tough,'' Dorothy Sullivan
told the Ventura County Star.
link

from another news site. poor thing -- this story has really affected me.

one more link. seems like this story is getting around:

Tortoise condition improves, fund set up for vet bills

Bob, the household tortoise from Ventura who was stolen and mutilated, was awake and stable this morning at animal hospital and is to be transferred to a turtle rehabilitation center by day's end.

"He's probably out of the woods barring any infection," said Jeanie Vaughan, owner of Turtle Dreams, a animal rescue and rehabilitation center in Santa Barbara where Bob will be taken later today and is expected to stay for several weeks and possibly months to recover from his injuries.

The 42-pound African spurred tortoise was awake but traumatized during a morning examination and still has a feeding tube inserted in his stomach to provide food and medication, Vaughan said.

"The fact that he is stable enough to be moved to rehab is a very good sign," said Vaughan, who has been monitoring the brutalized tortoise since he arrived at Adobe Animal Hospital in Santa Barbara. "But these are cold-blooded animals that take a long time to heal, so we will have to keep a close watch."

Meanwhile, an account has been set up at Washington Mutual to help Bob's owners Dorothy and Bill Sullivan with his veterinarian expenses.

The family has been flooded with well-wishers and people offering money for Bob's care since news broke of how the tortoise was snatched over the weekend out of the family's back yard, mutilated and dumped in thick brush behind a Ventura apartment complex.

The family recovered the 25-year-old sulcata tortoise Sunday, and police continue to seek the person or people responsible for his injuries, which included deep lacerations to this neck, arms and legs, and stab wounds to his shell.

Anyone wishing to donate can send money to Washington Mutual, P.O. Box 877, Ventura, CA 93002.

Checks should be made out to William Sullivan in care of Bob, Account No. 492-105108-5. Wire transfer can be routed to Account No. 322271627.

"The outpouring has been overwhelming," Dorothy Sullivan said this morning, adding that she got a phone call from a well-wisher in Montana. "After what happened to Bob, I had lost a lot of faith in the human race. But it's been absolutely wonderful how people are recognizing that Bob needs help and that what was done to him is a serious crime."

The couple, who have a 6-year-old son who is autistic and close to the family tortoise, planned to visit Bob today at the rehab center.

"We can't wait to see him," she said.

Anyone with information about Bob can contact police detectives at 339-4394 or make an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers at 385-TALK. Information that leads to an arrest could result in a reward of up to $1,000, police said.
link

VENTURA COUNTY STAR (Ventura, California) 14 July 07 Humane Society offers reward in tortoise case
The Humane Society on Friday announced it is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those who brutalized a Ventura pet tortoise.
The national organization offers rewards in animal cruelty cases across the country and works to strengthen laws against cruelty.
Bob, a 42-pound African spurred tortoise, was snatched Saturday from a Ventura home, mutilated and dumped.
The animal was resting peacefully at a Santa Barbara animal rehabilitation center Friday but still needed the aid of a feeding tube and had several open wounds.
Police asked anyone with information about the case to call Ventura detectives at 339-4394 or Crime Stoppers at 385-TALK. Police are offering their own reward of up to $1,000 for information.

And this story is being covered coverseas as well ...
United Kingdom: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6778746,00.html
Japan: http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/videos/news/20070714p2g00m0in006000c.html
Humane Society offers reward in tortoise case

Who would do this to a sulcata??????????????????

this is the latest news i could find about bob. it's 4 days old, so i'm hoping that no news is good news and that he's still stable and doing well.......

i'm glad the police have a lead, but the punishments for animal cruelty are never sufficient.

Autistic child's tortoise stolen, mutilated
The injured 42-pound animal is at a rehabilitation center as police seek three people in the theft.
By Bob Pool, Times Staff Writer
July 14, 2007

Bob the Tortoise is still afraid to stick his head out of his damaged shell. And no wonder.

The 42-pound African spurred tortoise is in guarded condition at a Montecito animal rehabilitation center after thieves tried to cut his neck and slice his legs from his shell.

Ventura police and Humane Society officials on Friday offered rewards totaling $3,500 for the arrest and conviction of those responsible for stealing him from a Ventura backyard and mutilating him.

Police are searching for three people, who could face felony charges of theft and torture of an endangered species, which may carry prison sentences.

"We're working some leads," Sgt. Jack Richards said. "We have a detective on it but we don't have an actual suspect yet."

Dorothy and Bill Sullivan have had Bob for 10 years, and he has become the special friend of their 6-year-old autistic son, William, said Jeanie Vaughan, owner of the Turtle Dreams rehabilitation center.

The youngster, whose autism makes him wary of talking to people, freely chatted with the 25-year-old tortoise, whose species is known to grunt, whistle and croak in response.

"Now he's scared to death that not only has he lost his friend, but that whoever did this are going to come after him too," Vaughan said.

Bob is being treated with antibiotics and fed through a tube at the rehabilitation center. Vaughan said the tortoise is afraid to poke his head out.

"He's in guarded condition, no longer critical," Vaughan said. "We're going to do everything in our power to get him back to his owners. But it could take months."

Authorities said Bob was stolen July 7. Dorothy Sullivan immediately posted fliers in the neighborhood and a short time later received an anonymous call from someone inquiring about a reward.

Following the caller's instructions, Sullivan found the brutalized tortoise lying behind a nearby apartment house. She used a wagon to take him home and contacted Turtle Dreams when she found that no veterinarians were available over the weekend to treat Bob.

"In the 13 years I have been doing rescue work, I've never seen a case like this," Vaughan said. "Bob will be fine if he doesn't get an infection. He's a strong animal."
link

The kind of people who should get the snot kicked out of 'em, that's who. People who engage in such cruelty to animals are disturbed, and if given the chance, wouldn't think twice about doing the same to a human being. I hope the perpetrators are caught and given the maximum sentence the law will allow.

T.G.

KCBS (Studio City, California) 01 August 07 Update On Bob The Turtle: He's Healing Nicely
Ventura, Calif (AP): Officials say a tortoise who was stolen, slashed and mutilated is still being fed through a tube in his neck but is healing nicely.
The 42-pound pet tortoise, named Bob, is being treated at Turtle Dreams, a Montecito rehabilitation center.
Police following an anonymous tip found Bob in brush behind an apartment complex days after the animal was stolen on July seventh.
Officials say the animal's hind legs were badly cut, a toe was cut off, his neck was slashed and his shell was punctured with a sharp object.
A prosecutor says Jose "Tony" Mosqueda, of Ventura pleaded not guilty July 23rd to one felony count of animal cruelty in the case.
He remains in custody on $100,000 bail.
Update On Bob The Turtle: He's Healing Nicely