KUSA (Denver, Colorado) 25 August 10 The story of 3 fishing hooks and a turtle named Murtle (Jeffrey Wolf & Jamie Kim)
Aurora: A turtle who nearly died from swallowing fish hooks is doing well thanks to some good Samaritans and a generous local vet. She's been named "Murtle the Turtle" and will be returned to her pond on Wednesday.
The turtle got into big trouble at a pond near Interstate 70 and Ward Road last Wednesday. She had a fishing hook caught in her mouth, and was tangled in a net two feet under water. She could barely come up for air.
Murtle would have died had it not been for the curiosity of Ronald Groves and Robin Haney. The couple was walking around the pond, when they noticed a fishing line that led from a tree into the water. They decided to follow the line to see what might be at the other end. That's when they found Murtle struggling to stay alive.
They immediately untangled her, and tried to remove the hook on her mouth. They couldn't get it out, so they brought the turtle to Seven Hills Veterinary Center located at 18511 East Hampden Avenue in Aurora.
Dr. Michael Ley immediately had the turtle X-rayed, which revealed even bigger problems. In addition to the hook in her mouth, Murtle had two more fishing hooks lodged inside of her. The hooks had torn her esophagus, preventing her from eating.
Ley also discovered Murtle had pneumonia.
Ley performed two surgical procedures, lasting two hours each, to remove the two hooks she swallowed. The hook on her mouth was the easiest to remove.
Ley also gave Murtle injectable antibiotics, and put her on a feeding tube.
Staff blended nutritional supplements with water, and put it in the feeding tube. It's not ideal turtle food, but Ley says he had to do something to give her nutrition and strength, since her esophagus was damaged and she didn't want to eat.
Now she is back to herself and was discharged from the clinic on Tuesday. Groves and Haney plan to return her to the pond Wednesday morning.
Ley hopes this is one patient he will never have to see again.
"Whether she learned anything from this, I don't know," Ley said. "Let's hope so."
Ley hopes people will learn from Murtle's ordeal, and remember that fishing hooks can be a hazard to wildlife, and that's why they shouldn't be used.
For now, he and his staff are celebrating Murtle's survival.
"Oh the whole clinic has adopted this as their feel good pet. So it's feels great," Ley said.
Ley estimates Murtle is 20 years old. He says she could live another 20 years, provided she doesn't swallow anymore fishing hooks.
Groves and Haney say they are now attached to Murtle, and it will be an emotional moment when they release her on Wednesday.
"I cried when I brought her in, hoping somebody would be able to help her out, and just be thinking about her," Haney said. "She'll be in our minds. We'll keep the hooks to remember Murtle the Turtle."
The couple says they will try to check up on her when they can, but doubt they will be able to find her so easily next time.
The story of 3 fishing hooks and a turtle named Murtle