u/desmith0719

I’m a reptile lover and absolutely obsessed with providing optimal care. I have a bearded dragon and three snakes as well as various spiders. I want a tortoise eventually but I’m not there yet. All of my animals have very large bioactive enclosures with proper uvb and heating, see the vet, all of the things. I’ve been letting a neighbor’s dog out for them while they are at work the past week and a half. I did notice that they have a very large aquarium in a very VERY dark corner of their house but I didn’t snoop because I just don’t do that. I assumed it was empty.

This morning, the wife came and knocked on my door to ask if I could let Parker (their dog) out on Saturday because they are taking their daughter to an amusement park. I had my bearded dragon on my chest, leeching my body heat while we wait for his lights to warm his basking spot, like we do every morning. This prompted her to ask, “have you seen my turtle???” And immediately I’m thinking “oh god no. Please please tell me you aren’t about to say there is a living being in that tank!!” I tell her I haven’t. She then tells me what I’m dreading - there’s a living box turtle in that tank.

A few hours later I go to let Parker out and decide that I can’t look. I just cannot do it because I know what’s going to happen. But then I see their little head poking up. So I go over. This POOR BABY!! First of all, it’s an Eastern box turtle which is even more horrifying. I’m assuming they probably removed him from the wild. He’s (for the sake of not knowing the sex yet) is sitting in a small water dish and I can see film floating on top of the water. This cage is DARK. It’s by a kitchen window but the windows all have blackout curtains. He has a tiny sliver of light shining through the curtain. Cage is very large but again, an aquarium, with pea gravel, a branch, the bowl and a fake plastic turtle. No light. No heat. Nothing. He looked miserable. Beak overgrown. Colors so dull, eyes dull, just very very heartbreaking.

I didn’t have gloves or anything so I left and came home and immediately called my husband to figure out how we can handle this. First of all, they are very nice people. I know way too often people get reptiles especially and just don’t know what they’re doing. They’re misguided and ignorant. No excuse regardless but I’m trying to process. I can’t think about anything else and the moment I started telling my husband, I just started crying my eyes out.

I come up with the plan to catch her tomorrow after she’s on her way home from walking her daughter to daycare. I’m going to have her come in and see how I keep my snakes and frogs and beardie and then I’m going to tell her that I’d like to do something similar for her turtle. That’s about as far as I’ve gotten. I think she’ll be receptive because I am choosing to believe that she cares but just doesn’t know any better.

I have extra fixtures and heat lamps and for now, an older 5.0 T5 uvb light but I do understand I’ll need a different one and I’ll have to try to talk her into buying a different enclosure. I have some spineless prickly pear plants and elephant bush as well as a large bag of reptisoil and extra habba huts. I also have repashy calcium plus, dubia roaches, banded crickets, really any feeder you can think of.

I know it isn’t perfect but it’s what I’m thinking for now. I honestly shudder to think of what she may have been feeding him and I don’t want to overload him with insects or fresh greens immediately if that’ll be bad for him so where do I start? What should I start with? I was going to take him outside tomorrow when I go to let the dog out to get some sun. Good idea? Bad idea? Any advice on where to start, as long as she’s receptive, would be greatly appreciated.

If you read all of that thank you. Not including a TL:DR because I don’t know how to say this briefly.