One of the goals of the Gulf Coast Turtle and Tortoise society reads:
The GCTTS provides a rescue program to satisfy this society goal.
If you know of a turtle or tortoise that needs to be rescued, please call the GCTTS hotline at 281-443-3383 or e-mail us at info@gctts.org.
GCTTS offers our rescue service to any turtle or tortoise that needs help, but we do not have the resources to take turtles that have simply become an inconvenience to their owners or that result from the irresponsible actions of their owners.
GCTTS will not take in animals during the hibernation season except under unusual circumstances. Turtles that are pets that have become inconvenient should be retained by their owner until they can be housed outdoors.
We encourage responsible ownership of these animals. If your turtle needs veterinary care, please provide it. To avoid having the GCTTS being used as a free veterinary service, our policy is that any sick or injured turtle that we take in will not be returned to the person asking for our help.
When the GCTTS adopts turtles and tortoises we try to make sure that the new owner has complete information about the care and needs of the species being adopted. We specifically note that turtles may produce babies and that the GCTTS cannot rescue babies resulting from adopted turtles or tortoises.
The GCTTS will rescue baby turtles that surprise their owners. When we do this, we try to educate turtle and tortoise owners about how to avoid babies. If you do not want your turtles and tortoises to reproduce, please ask us for information. Once the GCTTS has rescued babies from an individual, and provided them with information about how to avoid future babies, we will not rescue babies from that individual a second time.
Please understand our policy - the GCTTS simply does not have the resources to rescue turtles resulting from the irresponsible actions of their owners. We try to use our limited resources to assist those turtles and tortoises (and their owners) who really need help.
GCTTS will accept turtles and tortoises into our rescue program as best we can, and we will always try to accommodate sick or injured animals. We request that any healthy captives be retained in their current homes during the hibernation season (roughly October through February or March). We can help with husbandry questions year round and our website offers comprehensive information about caring for and overwintering turtles and tortoises.
Turtles and tortoises can be brought to one of our drop off locations. Make arrangements to drop off your turtle or tortoise through the GCTTS Hotline (281-443-3383) or via email to info@gctts.org
Any equipment, foods, etc, donated with the turtle(s) are appreciated.