Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok so I took in this ladies sick tortoise in June. Injured by a larger male, injured three times by a nasty human and is impacted with gravel from living in a pen with inadaquate food. I have worked with this tortoise every day, cleaning wounds , tube feeding and watering, enemas , the works. If you've read my other posts you know this has been a trial. She wouldn't eat couldn't poop and felt lowsy!
I currently have her wounds healed, her appetite back and she is begining to pass the gravel. She still has at least another month of constant attention to make sure she continues to eat (she eats well if hand fed but very little if left on her own), and to monitor poop process.
The owner wants me to have her (said this origionally) and I was doing all this to eventually own her. Well now the owner wants $1000 for her...(for a sick 50 pounder) and if she gets her back she'll put her back in with the male (bigger) in the gravel pen outside here in the Northwest. She feels they will be lonely without each other!
I've offered this lady $500 for the male and $200 for the female because she owes me almost $800.00 in medical expenses and care.
It's killing me that if she doesnt accept my offer she will just pay me, take the female and dump her back outside to suffer the same fate or worse.
She even suggested I just go buy her a serval cub and we'll trade "cause that's what I really want". Geez
I can't begin to tell you how attached I've become to this girl. I don't care if she ever lays another egg. She deserves good care, and right now needs constant care. I feel by letting this lady have her tortoise back I'm letting the tortoise down.I am beating myself up for being so gulabul and getting so smitten.
I don't know if I'm writting this for advice or just to make myself feel better but it's nice to know this forums here either way. Ok I'm done venting...Thanks

Wow I hope she excepts your offer. It is so sad how people treat animals. I do hope that you can also get the male. Best of luck and keep us updated.

I wouldn't normally say this because so many people do it for too many trivial reasons ....but you know if I were in your shoes I think I would want to consult with a lawyer.
Is there a written contract between the two of you? If not I would really want to consult with a lawyer and maybe even with law enforcement/county animal control in regards to the cruelty this woman heaped upon the poor sulcata.
Basically it sounds like she's an unfit mother & should never get this tortoise back for any reason!
She probably shouldn't have the others that she's still got either.

I hope one way or another you do get to keep this tortoise!
Good luck with that & keep us updated please.
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PHRatz