Saving what you can

I normally write about dogs and cats. I also post emails for dogs and cats I have received from others. I post a lot of opinion and in some cases, facts to back up that opinion.
Today, it is about a turtle. It is also about being aware of what your pets are telling you.
I have a Florida friendly yard. I don't use pesticides, I have plenty of cover for birds and such to nest in. There are also lots of native species of plants for a food source.
In the evenings I like to sit out by the pool with a drink and watch the wildlife. Yesterday, I counted 3 sets of cardinals, several red-headed woodpeckers, some mockingbirds and the always present bluejays. The squirrels were plentiful along with every bug known to man when Betty became very fascinated with the fenceline.
Because new neighbors with a dog just moved in next door, I at first thought it was the dog next door. I was wrong. I called Betty to come and she ignored me. She was not leaving this particular spot at the fenceline.
My privacy fence has a chain link fence on the other side. When I had it built, I left the chain link for double protection on one of the dogs digging out.(which has never happened) When I walked over to see what Betty was so interested in, I discovered a turtle.
The turtle had become wedged in between the privacy fence and the chain link. I, at first, tried to pull the fence out so the turtle would become flush with the ground and could dig out from under but that wasn't going to work. I tried to pull the chain link away from the boards of the privacy fence and that didn't work either.
I finally got a shovel and carefully dug a hole at the bottom of the fence, pulled the boards of the privacy fence and the turtle slide into the hole. I then scooped it up in the shovel, walked across the street to the little pond in back of my neighbors' house and let the turtle go.
How happy the turtle was to go sliding down the bank and into the water of the pond. As it disappeared under the water, I thought of how special all creatures are. I realized we rescue people cannot get discouraged and must keep putting one foot in from of the other. Betty saved that turtle. I was just the means she used to save it. Had she not alerted me to the turtle being stuck in the fence, it probably would have died. She would not leave the fence until I came over to see what was there. Score 1 for Betty.

Comments

Popular Posts