Contact your local vet and arrange a turtle taxi to the Kawarthas
To the Expositor:
As an addendum to “It’s time to be vigilant for turtles and snakes on our roads,” I wanted to point out what one should do in the event of finding an injured reptile.
In Ontario we are fortunate to have the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre located in the Kawarthas. This centre with its turtle hospital dedicates itself to all things chelonian, from education to medical care, rehabilitation and release of injured turtles. They will accept turtle patients from around Ontario and have a wonderful success rate.
So before one passes by an injured live turtle on the road with a cracked shell, please contact your local Island veterinarian. At your local clinic, the veterinarian can at least stabilize the turtle by administering pain medications and fluids, while a ‘turtle taxi’ is arranged to deliver the patient to the Conservation Centre.
I also encourage and recommend readers to have a look at the Conservation Centre’s web page at www.kawarthaturtle.org for a more detailed description on how to handle an injured turtle.
Many thanks
Janice Mitchell, DVM
Tehkummah
