Hello from Kelly at Think Turtle Conservation Initiative
Join us in wishing Doodles the red-eared slider a ‘HAPPY 48th BIRTHDAY’ and a special thanks to her caregiver Ed for taking such good care of Doodles all these years. It is practically unheard of that a pet slider purchased in the 1970’s is with the same person. Ed, your commitment to Doodles well-being says a lot about the person you are. You are an inspiration and the kindest of souls.
The 1970’s
Although the 1970’s saw a marked elevation in public awareness and a flurry of environmental issues were being addressed, turtle conservation needed to catch up. With red-eared sliders being readily available in pet stores and the pet departments of the larger retail stores and very inexpensive, this gave way to a surge in pet turtle purchases. Note: Ed purchased Doodles in the 1970’s at Zeller’s for a mere $1.49. At such a low cost this fueled sales and the notion that a pet turtle required little financial investment or risk and therefore of little consequence if it didn’t work out.
Promoted as a great starter pet for kids, most of us that grew up in the 1970’s had a slider. Concerns about kids, the vulnerable sector and Salmonella were understated and lax at the time. In captivity, a slider can live 30 to 50 years, a long-term commitment many people back in the day did not understand. Many were released into the wild when those adorable little sliders outgrew their plastic island and required more upkeep, financial investment, and responsibility. At the time, there was almost zero awareness regarding the harm this would cause native turtle species and their habitat. Fast forward all these years, and fortunately, there is more awareness and understanding about turtles. Sliders are no longer readily available in pet stores but are instead through online sources with far too much ease.
A reminder …
While it is legal to have a red-eared slider as a pet because it is a turtle species not native to Ontario, please note that it is ‘illegal’ to possess any of the eight turtle species native to Ontario as pets. There are fines of up to $25,000 and/or imprisonment for anyone found to be keeping an Ontario turtle as a pet.
Think Turtle does ‘NOT’ support turtles of any species kept as pets; however, we do support adopting a slider that was surrendered to an animal rescue. The plight of the ‘sliders’ and other non-native turtle species is one of particular concern to us. We advocate for this turtle species, hoping that one day they will only inhabit their native homeland and be of no commercial value or interest to poachers, breeders, fortune seekers, and pet collectors.
Pet Sliders
A significant concern in Ontario is people acquiring sliders and other non-native turtle species as pets. When they tire of them or realize that caring for a pet turtle is more responsibility than they bargained on to solve the problem, some peoples feel releasing the slider into the wild is the best course of action. In the wild, some sliders will not survive the harsh winter others will go on to be an invasive species and threaten Ontario’s native species, which is unfair to both turtle species. Sliders can also negatively impact fish, wildlife, plants, and overall ecosystem health in the wild because they disrupt natural communities and ecological processes. An established population of an invasive species can have a much more significant impact on an ecosystem than other species. They have a disproportionate effect, which is what makes them so harmful.
For these reasons and many more, we do not support purchasing sliders or any non-native turtle species available to buy as a pet. If someone has done the research and feels up to caring for a pet turtle, please look to ‘ADOPTING,’ a slider surrendered to Little RES-Q https://www.littleresq.net/, or an animal rescue.
Thousands of pet sliders have been surrendered to Little RES-Q and other rescues over the years. The pandemic saw an increase in sliders and other exotic animals purchased, and since given up, some responsibly, many not.
With so many sliders surrendered, limited space, and funds, Little RES-Q has a two-year waiting list for people looking to surrender a slider. Little RES-Q has sliders of all ages available for adoption and deserving of the best home to live out their life expectancy. In the 1970s, people needed to have the understanding of turtle conservation we have today. Please do not purchase sliders as pets for your children!
Again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Doodles, and the sincerest and most heartfelt ‘THANK YOU’ imaginable Ed, for giving Doodles a forever home. A big cheer goes out to another longtime slider caregiver we know, Trace, and his best bud, Buddy and a special mention to Sylvester Stallone. He still has sliders Cuff and Link from the first Rocky movie, now about 47 years old!
Best Regards,
Kelly Wallace, Managing Director
Think Turtle Conservation Initiative
Cell/Text: 647-606-9537
E-mail: thinkturtle@yahoo.com
Facebook: thinkturtleci
Username: Wallace Kathleen Kelly
Website: thinkturtle.ca
Photo Supplied By: Ed
Facebook Post: #1009
THINK TURTLE CONSERVATION INITIATIVE 