I haven't been negative, just worried when you didn't seem (by your own admission) to want to make too much effort to find the person she belongs to and I am still concerned that this is the case since you still haven't informed the police nor contacted petsearch nor the Bristol chelonia group who's contact is also someone called Sue.I laud your efforts in caring for it and also the fact that you took on the old girl and I do believe that you can offer any tort a fantastic home. However you are not the only one who can do so, and somewhere out there, someone is going spare worrying about their pet, imagining all kinds of terrible thing and may even have reported it missing to the police who of course, have no record of one being found.......................

__________________
Please sign my petition:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/poultry-vaccines/

Police now know, as took everyone's advice on board, I came away a bit upset as they were in hysterics when I told them about it..It is a very serious matter in my opinion, and i assure i've not taken it lightly.chelonia good idea too so will phone after work..but even after the measures I've taken, my daughters taken the neibours taken we have still heard nothing from the owners and we're four days on..
I'm a 52 year old woman I could do without this stress at my age ha ha
Oh well best do some work now!

Aww sure that wasnt fair of the police, any lost animal is serious and they should have been a bit more caring.

If its so small could it have been taken from a breeders garden by a bird? I suppose small time breeders wouldnt always be known about so finding out could be a problem.

The best you can do is take good care of him/her and see what happens. Fingers crossed that whatever happens its the right outcome. I strongly believe that if someone hasnt come forward with in the next 7 days then she/he wont be claimed.

Your doing all that you can, just a couple more phone calls and you will have all areas covered, after that its just wait and see.

Good luck and Best Wishes

Vicky, Georgie and Freddie xx

I'm actually wondering whether this might not be a theft instead of a lost tort'? It might explain why no neighbours have lost one. After all, it won't have appeared out of thin air.Perhaps might even be one of those pinched lot posted on this forum, sold on, bought in a pub off a 'bloke' and when the kids found it boring, simply let go.It seems really strange that someone would pay a lot of money for a pet, then simply let it fend for itself and nobody knows about it. I mean, my neighbours know about a new pet if I get one cos I natter about it or they see it over the fence or whatever. If a nearby neighbour had lost it, you would think that they'de ask the neghbours either side if it was in their garden wouldn't you? Which makes me wonder if it's come from far away and not by it's own legs if you get my drift.

__________________
Please sign my petition:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/poultry-vaccines/

I know exactly how you feel. You should hear some of the things I have been told by the Garda. It really makes you upset. Don't worry though, I think you have been doing a great job and I agree with fenwoman, how strange, it didn't just appear out of no where in a cloud of smoke, but have you considered they do not want it found. I know it sounds strange but I have had it happen before, someone has something & very few people actually know about it, they couldn't be bother trying to resell (it does happen even after forking out a small fortune) so they release or dump it somewhere. Just a thought to consider but let us know how it goes. Oh and I do know this is probably not the case. Hugs all the way from Eire, don't be upset your doing great.

__________________

Be good, and if you can't be good, be careful!

Where do you live (generally)? My breeder had his stolen in Sussex.

What number is / was on it?

If it's a high number, it may well be from an import, a lot of imported tortoises have numbers on them up to the hundreds. Some breeders also put numbers on but it would probably be a fairly low number. If it was illegally imported then sold on then perhaps the owner didn't care that much for it at all anyway.... but if it's a breeders and was stolen it could have travelled a few hours away to be sold on or dumped.

__________________

I just don't know, I'm at a loss, people around here are even asking in shops supermarkets as they know how worried I have been, leaflets are everywhere, schools builders merchants, pets shops...you name it! She is such a little mite less than two inches, someone suggested that if it was a high number painted on her she may be an import, and it is high, or maybe a cat or bird may have brought it in..I could go on and on wondering..all I know is she's happy, healthy and eating like it's going out of fashion! And in the meanwhile I will sit and wait! I know nothing about bringing babies up if I keep her, mine have all been over 4 so bit of a chalenge! Thanks for your concern, and help x

If you see my reply to FENWOMAN you will see I am at a total loss, and she has got a high number on her
(wont put exact number down in case someone reading this and claims her as theirs!) She is obviously not local now as someone somewhere would have come forward by now 4 days on.

I live in Bristol, she's so tiny, I'm becoming of the opinoion she may have been brought in by a bird or cat from a few mils away.