VANCOUVER SUN (British Columbia) 13 October 10 Pets with mutilated shells rescued by The Reptile Guy
Abbotsford's Reptile Guy Mike Hopcraft rescued a turtle and a tortoise last week that had holes drilled into their shells and handles attached to their bodies.
The animals' owner, who lives in Delta, had attached the handles so that he could carry the 25-to 30-pound sulcata tortoise and leash the box turtle when he left it outside, Hopcraft told The Sun.
"He mutilated these animals to make his life easier," Hopcraft said.
The handles are held in place by wires, which are tightly secured through four holes in each of the animals' shells.
The turtle also has a jewel glued to its shell, which Hopcraft has so far been unable to remove.
The tortoise, which is still growing, cannot lift itself off the ground to walk properly, Hopcraft said.
"The tortoise just drags itself around -- I don't know if it doesn't have the muscle mass, or what," Hopcraft said. "I have never seen anything like this before."
After speaking with the reptiles' owner, Hopcraft said, he was so upset he was shaking.
"The turtle is underweight, its beak is overgrown and its claws need to be clipped," Hopcraft said.
Hopcraft intends to add the tortoise to his education program if it is found to be healthy, and the turtle will probably go to the Greater Vancouver Zoo if Hopcraft can get the jewel off its shell.
Hopcraft has a rescue and education program for exotic and rare animals called The Reptile Guy. His presentations subsidize the rescue effort, but recent legal changes banning some exotic animals have meant he will cease operation in December unless an alternate source of funding is found.
For more information about The Reptile Guy, visit reptileguy.ca.
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=45f42815-8734-48df-9c20-11baa55f27d6&k=22405
ABBOTSFORD NEWS (British Columbia) 13 October 10 Reptile Guy incensed at 'mutilated' turtles (Neil Corbett)
The Reptile Guy, picking up a pair of turtles from a home in Delta, was furious when he saw how the owner had "mutilated" them.
"He drilled holes into them and put handles on them so he could pick them up and carry them around, and tie them up in his backyard," said Mike Hopcraft, whose reptile rescue service has operated out of Abbotsford for the past four years.
One was a sulcata tortoise, which weighs approximately 30 pounds and was probably getting awkward for the owner to carry in his bare hands. The other was a box turtle, about seven inches in size.
The box turtle also has a jewel glued onto its shell that Hopcraft has not been able to remove.
"It's just for decoration purposes. I guess it didn't look good enough," he said.
Hopcraft asked the SPCA to investigate whether animal cruelty charges are warranted, and to ensure that dogs and other pets at the Delta home are receiving necessary care.
"It hurts turtles to drill the holes, it's very uncomfortable," he alleges, and said the tortoise showed other signs of neglect.
Hopcraft offers presentations about reptiles and their care at schools, malls and even birthday parties, but has run afoul of the province's new exotic pet legislation. Under the laws he is prohibited from exhibiting some of his prize attractions – a spectacled caiman, a ringtailed lemur and a 15-foot albino Burmese python.
The presentations have funded his animal rescue operations, but Hopcraft said he cannot continue to operate as he has in the past, unless he obtains zoo accreditation. That would require him to find more expensive facilities than the Peadonville Road warehouse where he is presently based. By December the Reptile Guy will be out of business.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/fraser_valley/abbynews/news/104872409.html
