My boyfriend Erick and I took Nina from his father on the 8th of Nov because he had purposely left her in the backyard with our pit mix without thinking about the consequences. Poor Nina was attacked by the dog and she lost part of her shell and got some bad puncture wounds. Erick and I rushed her to Petsmart where they said that they did not have a vet to take care of her and they told us about a really good exotics vet in Murrieta, which was 27 miles away. We drove Nina that 27 miles to save her life, The road was bumpy so I would often hold Nina elevated to cushion those bumps.
We finally arrived at the animal hospital about 30 minutes later, They saw her immediately and gave us the news, It was gonna be expensive to save her life, and we didn't give it a second thought, the vet rinsed out her wounds and gave her 3 different shots for pain and infection that might occur, they wrapped her up carefully in a wet to dry bandage to draw out the left over dog hair and saliva they could not get out by cleansing.
We brought her home, I cut up 2 shoe boxes and taped them together so she could have some room to move around, I put a towel inside for cushion and I put a heating pad underneath to keep her warm. I woke up every 2 hours to make sure she was alive, not to hot and the ants were leaving her alone. The next day we took her back to the same vet for a bandage change and on the way over I was trying to feed her some egg yolk, She took a few bites! I was so happy but then she started opening her mouth and making these choking sounds, so I looked inside her mouth and noticed the food was not swallowed, We got to the vet and I rushed her in and told them what happened, The took her back and 5 minutes later came out and said she was fine...They charged us $40 just to look in her mouth
Since she didn't eat I wasn't able to give her the medication so she needed 2 more injections, more money, then her bandage change, more money. When we got home my friend Kendy told me about this place that might take her in for free and fix her up, I called them and they said no because they only rescue wild animals. They did however tell me about this organization called "Turtle And Tortoise Club" I did some research on the internet and found their website, I emailed on Sunday and explained the situation. While I was waiting for an email back I bonded with Nina and I fell in love with her, I stayed close to her 24/7 and I finally got her to eat and drink, I would sing to her and she would look into my eyes like she knew that Erick and I were trying to help her.
That very night I got an email from a Lynda Bagley, She said they can take her! We had a very long conversation by email about everything that happened, Nina's meds, The outrageous vet prices. We set a date and she told me she would be able to meet with me the very next day in a city called Fountain Valley, It is in between Santa Ana and Huntington Beach. We agreed on a place and a time being 4:00 pm.
The next day I was very depressed but happy at the same time, happy because Nina was going to have a new life but sad because she was leaving me and Erick. Erick could not go because he had to work so his mother Mrs. Marquez and his brother Carlos agreed to drive me and Nina the 63 miles to Fountain Valley. I got Nina set up in a pet carrier with a towel inside which I warmed up with a hair dryer, I also put her buddy inside (Plastic tortoise toy). I grabbed all of Nina's vet records and her medication and we left for Fountain Valley. While we were driving, I was in the back seat with Nina, It was very cold so I wrapped my sweater around the pet carrier to try to keep the warmth inside so she could be comfortable, My arms got cramped up from holding the carrier up when we hit those bumpy roads.
We got there around 3:30 pm and I decided to go inside the store to wait, It was a reptile store, a HUGE reptile store, I asked the woman working if Lynda Bagley worked there and she said she doesn't work there but she volunteers, She gave Lynda a call for me to let her know I was there a bit early. I walked around the entire store with Nina in my arms inside her carrier. At 4:00pm Lynda arrived.
We had a nice conversation and Nina and her future, I was holding back the tears the entire time. She told me that Nina would live with her until she got better and that they had expert veterinarians who would take very good care of her for minimal prices, in the meantime Lynda would change her bandages and give her the medication she needs. I was very happy that I found the right place for Nina, She is now in the very best place she can be. As I said my last goodbye to Nina I made a video For everyone to see but first I would like to show in order all the videos I made of Nina, Just click on the links one a time and enjoy as much as I did, Nina. Also see the last 3 pictures I took of her, The morning of her new life with Lynda.
Nina Day 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GctCTml8hYA&feature=relatedNina Day 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRJJR2T3MDM&feature=relatedNina's First Bite
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mh7pGVpyh8&feature=relatedNina's First Drink
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap9iCz3t3Ew&feature=relatedNina and Lynda, Last Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F_Yi5xuUisAngels do exist, Lynda Bagley is one of them.
Vet cost and care= $500
Home care= Shoe boxes and food
Birds= Jealous
Sleep= 3 hours a night
Nina's life saved= PRICELESS!
I've always had a soft spot for turtles. Thanks for sharing that
