Our tortoise went missing 8 weeks ago. We couldnt understand how she got out his enclosure but thought one of the dogs possibly let her out . We leafleted the neighbourhood and spoke to as many people as possible. no joy.  one day last week i was out on my daily search and met a local builder who said that he had found it and given her to a neighbour . We waited all day, anticipating her return. I rushed over when they got home only to be told that they had lost her. We searched their garden and found the only escape was through to their neighbour , we followed the trail and discovered that they had found it and given it to a friend who they say gave it to a rescue centre. The people who found her the second time are on holiday and their adult chidren cant give me any information on who took her and to where . I am very dissapointed as we have put up posters and sent leaflets to these people (before they left). I have tried a few rescue centres but getting nowhere.
         If anyone has any usefull ideas on tortoise tracking i would appreciate a reply     thanks

Oh no, I understand just how you feel as something similar happened to my tortoise.
Have you found out when the people will be returning of holiday? I can't understand why none of the rescue centres near you don't have it. Are they reptile rescues etc. I know it's hard but I wouldn't worry too much. Just keep on with searching as many rescues as you can. Try your local vets to see if they know of any smaller rescues as people set them up in their homes sometimes.

My tortoise was in my back garden but because of the hot weather recently, managed to escape under the gate as he is only 4 and still fairly small, but luckily was found three houses down and the neighbours knocked on the door and gave him back. I was so relieved as he could have gone onto the road and got run over. The neighbours said that they were going to put an appeal on the local radio, maybe you could do that.

I've now re-named our tortoise Harry, after Harry Houdini!
I send you all my hope and luck that everything turns out Ok
Good luck
Emma 

Have you contacted your local vets?  They may be able to point you to the rescue centres your tortoise is most likely to have been taken to.

How frustrating, that your tortoise was so close and then taken away. I don't suppose you had her shell I'D'd did you?  There aren't as many around nowadays so hopefully any rescue would remember her. Pick up your yellow pages and ring every single rescue you can find and if no good, call every vet and also all you can find within a 50 mile radius from the Internet listings. Call them immediately as you do not want her re-homing, though I am pretty sure they would hold her for a while anyway. Of course this person may have kept her, you will find everything much clearer when these other people return from their holiday, one way or another you will get her back.

Good luck, I have my fingers crossed for you.

So sorry for you- hope you find him :-)  So do you keep him in the garden?  I have always wanted one but last year when I looked into getting one it said you had to buy a vivarium (Sp?) etc etc- I remember my great uncle having one when I was young and I'm sure his was kept in the garden or in the house during hibernation (was young though so he may have done more and I can't remember).  I never realised the work involved in keeping them, I thought they were a reasonably easy animal to keep :-)

Stacey x

thanks for all responses i am still on the trail.I have now been able to pass my telephone no. on to the people who took her. Im still awaiting a call. Begining to get a bit complex as the family on holiday have given her my details, im pleased we are getting closer but have a bit of a sinking feeling as they havn't  phoned me yet.  Hope it comes  together.
kash,
      there are lots of different types of tortoises each one having different requirements. Some , like mine (holmes hingeback) need a vivarium exept when it is sunny and warm . The hermann's or Greek tortoise and the mediterranean  spur-thighed tortoise are both types which i believe, do not require a vivarium. There are lots of forums out there sharing advice.

I know it won't help you much now...but you can get them microchipped you know?? I wouldn't write anything on a shell as you can damage them by doing that...hope you get torty home soon, love Dawn X

Oh boy - we wrote on our tortoise's shell "if this torty should chance to roam, box its earts & send it home to .............. ":D

Fred would go a-roving every summer - he knew where the best lettuces grew - whilst I grew up - he would go roam almost half a mile - we would always find him in a garden about half a mile away after about three weeks..... we'd give him a day there (we called it Fred's holiday) and then bring him home again!

He did this for almost 30 years, before my dad gave him to the people who's garden he would migrate to, every summer. when he moved into a retirement flat.......for all I know, he could be there still!!

(Memo to self:   check up on tortoises in Tilehurst!!!!)

Margot

Margot, were you a Coventry kid by any chance?? Tilehurst??

No - I was a Berkshire Lady :D :D :D

Tile'urst, Readin, Berks :D :D :D :D

dear newfiedreams,  didn't know they good be chipped ; When i get her back , im having it done. Hope its not too late for
us . Think i may have to mention the police if i dont get a responce soon.  thanks

Well, I think some of the problem is that you need a license for certain types, so they tend to get valuable and people nick 'em!! Hence the microchipping...no guarantees of course! BUT if people take it to the Vets and the Vets know that one has gone missing, that IS microchipped, they may well check and hey presto!! Norty torty, give him a smack when you get him back!!! LOL :P (A very gentle one!! LOL) All the best, Dawn X

Margot I live about 5 mins from Tilehurst in Reading (I take it is the same Tilehurst ) I will keep my eyes peeled for a getaway tortoise on the trail for some lettuce :-D

Got it in one Em!!!!

Halls Road ....round the "square" - Holland Road, round to .............I forget :( well, I am talking about 50 years ago .....allow an old lady some memory loss ..... it will come to me! )

I know Halls road aswell it is off Mayfair and the other end is on Park lane I think it is!  I actually live in Burghfield but I work all around tilehurst and outskirts of Reading.

AHA...well that was my second guess!! I used to live in Reading...many,many years ago...before the massive Supermarket on the roundabout off the M4, my Grandparents had a shop in the High Street Theale, where I spent many many happy holidays. Then when I was 18 I moved into Reading and had a job as a security officer for Boots on the high street in Reading(can'tremember the name of the road??) Then I married a copper and moved to Newbury then out to East Ilsley...ahh happy(NOT)days LOL That's when I seriouslygot into doggies...'bout 25 years ago!

Why dont you get your local paper to do a mini story of your lost tortoise? One of the readers might have some information. Or you could put some posters up locally :)

just found out that my tortoise was taken to a vets. People who found it wouldn't give me the name of the person who took it to the vets but the vets assistant has told me they have rehoused it. I am not too happy as it was taken from 2 doors away to another area and they have commented that i did not try too find it so they kept it for a week then rehomed it. Its a bit odd as they claim to have recieved it before it was lost and it had been seen in the area after this date?? The plot thickens. Strangely enough i was told it had been taken by a person who works with animals.I did comment that i felt it should have gone to a rescue centre. Any one out there know the legal side of this . I have said i want it back and they will speak to the "new owner " tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

Get on touch with the Police!!

>Get on touch with the Police!!

I agree.  Have you proof that you put up posters and sent leaflets?  You have shown that you have actively been searching for your pet and I would be very cross that it had been rehomed.  I probably shouldn't say this because I have a naturally suspicious mind but it sounds like that perhaps someone was a little too keen to have a tortoise. 

I had a tortoise for 11 years and she was an expert Houdini.  I couldn't believe it the first time I saw her climbing a fence .  Usually though she would find a tiny gap in the fence and just keep pushing at it until she made it bigger to get through, sometimes on her side.  Lucky she never tipped herself onto her back.

Dear old Tilly might still be with us if it wasn't for her escaping at the same time that OH buried a lot of garden rubbish at our new house :(  That's what we concluded happened anyway

Thats awful. What happens if they tip on their back?

They can't tip themselves back because their legs are too short. 

Have just phoned the surgery and have been told i have to wait till this afternoon to discus with the practice partner. Will give it till 4pm then im going to visit the practice , Im not willing to be fobbed off any more. One of the posters it still up, 10 yards from the house the tortoise was taken. Will tell them i am going to police .

Too right you should go to the police. Like the other posters said it seems somebody is keen to keep the tortoise for themselves, selfish gits!
I was a bit suspicious aswell when you first described them. Have you got any documentation to say that the tortoise is yours. With my Hermann's tortoise, I have to have documentation to say that it was bred in this country as it is against the law to bring in Hermann's tortoises into the country.
Keep on going, your are doing great so far, hope the police can do something.
Goodluck
Emma 

The good thing is jalle the vets have no legal rights to re-home your pet, they are not a rescue centre, they must return your tortoise immediately, the new owner has no rights to her either as she did not get her from a rescue, people can not keep something just because they found it, not without going through a process of police or rescue first.

I agree with others, if she is not returned to you immediately, inform the police, it is little more than theft. What a cheek to say you did not try hard enough, you have done everything any of us would, pet Insurance offer a leaflet service as this is the way to find your animals as well as doing door to door and ringing rescue centres and vets what else can you do?

I am looking forward to your next post of a returned tortoise.

Result!!  The vet has at last agreed that my tortoise will be returned, cant believe it!  I have an appointment to meet with the vet on monday as they cannot get it back till then. Thanks to all for your encouragement to keep the pressure on till they relented.  What a grand bunch  thanks.

Aww thats brill. Congrats to you for persevering!! Really chuffed for you!

Good for you for standing up for yourself. :)

How are you going to try and stop her getting away again? 

Fantastic!! I would put the first line of your address on her shell now (in small writing) to make sure if she should ever have a bout of wanderlust again she can be returned very quickly.

Have a nice piece of fresh lettuce ready for her on Monday. :-)

Glad its all worked out :)

Oh I'm sooo happy for you! Glad that she is back where she belongs. Welldone, just shows what people will go through for their pets because they love them so much. You should give her lots of dandelion leaves and cucumber! I bet she's starving!

Lots of love
Emma+ Harry