A veterinary office is looking for the owner of a 77-pound tortoise that an officer found wandering around Long Island, Newsday reported.
Massapequa Pet Vet received a surprise patient Wednesday when a Nassau County, New York, police officer brought the animal in.
It's not uncommon for wild turtles to be dropped off at the office, but the male African spurred tortoise stood out, veterinarian Ned Horowitz told Newsday.
“We were surprised to see this guy,” he said. “He’s very pleasant and clean and domesticated.”
Horowitz told Newsday that the tortoises, often sold at pet stores, get to be about 100 pounds, so he could see how they might be abandoned as they grow.
“When they get this large, they’re a bit of a mess," he said. "It’s like having a cow in your house."
But considering how well this particular tortoise had been taken care of, Horowitz said, it's more likely the animal escaped.