Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A couple of weeks ago I asked if anyone had any problems with sulcatas, now I wonder do any of you have any funny stories to tell?
Where I live the city code for animal keeping is very specific about some species but very vague for others. Tortoises fall into vague, they aren't even mentioned but zoo animals are so is it legal to keep a large tortoise inside the city limits or not? Who knows? I think they keep this vague so they can do something about complaints on a case by case basis if there is a complaint made. I still worry if one day Animal Control will knock on my door because of the tortoise.

A year ago we still had a chainlink fence that everyone could see through. Someone had bought the house next door, had it remodeled, then moved in with the wife's 81 year old mother. The old woman was unhappy, she'd lived in her home for 45 years, didn't want to move from it, so she decided she was leaving. She's passed away since then, she was very sick when they moved in.
Well, on this day that they moved her into the new house she got really upset, she had refused her meds & her oxygen treatments because she wanted to go home & was going to walk the 40 miles back home, so an ambulance was called & the police showed up with it.
They ended up not taking the woman to the hospital that day so as the police officer began to leave he pulled into MY driveway & I thought OH NO!! Destiny is out in front, he's seen her & he's got something to say about her. EEK!
So I kind of reluctantly started towards the front of the fence when this young police officer got out of his car, looked at me & said
"This is why I LOVE my job, I get to stop & look at COOL STUFF!!!"
ROFL
Then the ambulance stopped in front of my house, the EMT's got out & joined the cop to look at our tortoise & they all asked every question you can think of about her.
They thought she was the coolest thing they'd ever seen & to this day I've not had a visit from Animal Control so I guess this cop meant what he said, he loves his job because he gets to stop & look at COOL STUFF! hee heeee
Ok so I want to hear some funny stories from someone else... got any?
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PHRatz

I have another story.
In April of 2004 I went to a continuing education seminar for registered veterinary technicians.
My herp vet was a speaker at the seminar & because our Destiny is her patient she asked if I could bring Destiny to the seminar so she could be a live example, not just a photo.
My husband brought Destiny to the college tech building where the seminar was held about 10 minutes before our vet's talk was to begin. People were taking a break out in the foyer, using the coke machines etc. etc. my husband brought her in through the front door & just set her down in the floor in the foyer.
Destiny wandered around a little then she walked near the wheelchair ramp so I petted her & said "C'mon Destiny let's go" I slowly walked up the ramp, Destiny followed me.
It took 7-10 minutes or so to walk all the way up the ramp but as we did, a local small animal (dog/cat) veterinarian suddenly said really loudly "SHE'S FOLLOWING YOU!"
Everyone turned to watch then & it was true, she was following me but he just could not get over the idea that a reptile would follow her owner.

We got to the top of the ramp & had to turn a corner to get into the auditorium. Now at this point she had a choice, she could've turned the wrong way or turned around to go back down but instead she turned the corner after I did & followed me in. She amazed everyone there.
Me too actually.. her intelligence never ceases to amaze me!

She shook like crazy from side to side when she was the center of attention as the talk began. I know what that meant, it meant get me out of here I want to go home NOW! Husband pacified her with bits of cactus, then she wandered around the auditorium & made a HUGE poop on the carpet.
Uhhhhhhh WHOOPS
LOL
That was a neat day though.
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PHRatz