By Emma Hamilton
FOUR turtles have been found abandoned in a close in Midlothian.
The Mississippi map turtles had been dumped out in the cold in their tank before being spotted by a member of the public just off Almondell Road in Broxburn on Wednesday, February !.
Inspector Jenni Surgeon rescued the reptiles, after the Scottish SPCA was alerted, and took them to the Scottish animal welfare charity’s Edinburgh and Lothians Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre at Balerno.
The all-male group have been named John, Paul, George and Ringo after The Beatles.
Inspector Surgeon said, “We don’t know how long the turtles had been outdoors for, but clearly it’s very cold right now and these are exotic creatures used to temperatures of eighty degrees or more. Whoever did this had no concern for their welfare.
“We are seeing an ever increasing number of unwanted and abandoned reptiles coming into our care and it’s becoming a real concern for us.
“Exotic creatures require substantial care from the initial set up costs of buying a sizable tank, filter system and UV light to the maintenance costs of heating, feeding and providing vet treatment.
“Over time they can be costly pets to own and it’s becoming more common for people to simply dump them on the streets when they’ve had enough, it’s very sad.
“We’ll look after John, Paul, George and Ringo until good homes can be found for them.”
Aspokeswoman for the Scottish SPCA said:
“Abandoning an animal is an offence and anyone found guilty of doing so can also expect to be banned from keeping animals for a fixed period or life.
“Anyone with information relating to the abandoned turtles is being urged to contact the Scottish SPCA Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999.”
