Monday began as a stressful experience for a tortoise in Martin County, Florida who just thought he was crossing the road on SR 714, but he couldn’t figure out how to climb over a curb. Cars had been whizzing by, and he was narrowly escaping sure death or serious injury when Sheriff William Snyder from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office spotted the tortoise and pulled over to help.
According to the sheriff’s office Facebook page, the officer picked him up and turned him over to a passing Captain to be brought to safety. What seemed as if it was going to be a simple task of releasing the tortoise safely on the other side of the road suddenly took a detour.
At that exact lifesaving moment for a wayward tortoise, dispatch called out to officers for an interstate pursuit for murder suspects. And a decision had to be made to either leave the tortoise on the road where he likely would not have survived the morning traffic going by or taking him on the pursuit of suspects fleeing from authorities.
Needless to say, lights flashed and sirens blasted, and one little tortoise safely secured in a cardboard box seated on the passenger seat of a patrol vehicle, accompanied the officer who soon apprehended the suspects.
And so when the officers filled out their forms and were ready to continue with their duties, Captain Kloster escorted the tortoise back to the wooded area where the chelonian had originally taken the wrong turn; and he was finally set free.
Maybe it will be a story this tortoise will be able to tell his grandchildren?
Stop by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page if you get a chance and give them all an “attaboy.”
Follow the National Pet Rescue for the latest news and updates.
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