Gopher tortoises attacked by pet dogs
By Joanna Fitzgerald | Director of the von Arx Wildlife Hospital
A gopher tortoise was among the 92 animals admitted to the von Arx Wildlife Hospital at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida this past week.
A woman in Bonita Springs brought a large female gopher tortoise to the von Arx Wildlife Hospital after her two Rottweilers attacked the tortoise. The tortoise had scratch marks on her carapace, fresh chew marks on her hind legs and the dogs had chewed off a portion of the tortoise’s front left leg.
The injuries were so significant, the only treatment option was humane euthanasia. Staff was truly despondent because the tortoise’s death was preventable.
Four weeks earlier, a large male gopher tortoise was brought to the von Arx Wildlife Hospital from the same property. The aforementioned rottweilers had attacked the tortoise causing significant injuries to the tortoise’s shell and legs. At the time, staff members pleaded with the Rottweilers’ owner to monitor the dogs while they were outside since the owner knew he had gopher tortoises living on his property. It would seem nothing that the hospital staff said made a difference. In the end, this cost one tortoise her life and left a second tortoise permanently disabled.
As pet owners, we need to be responsible, not only for the safety of our pets, but for the safety of native wildlife as well.
Believe me, I know it can be inconvenient to watch your pets while they are outside. I have two dogs. My dogs, like most peoples’ dogs, are good dogs and are beloved members of my family. The situations in which my dogs could injure or kill an unsuspecting animal living in my yard are numerous. Left unattended, my dogs will chase after rabbits, harass gopher tortoises or try to catch snakes and lizards.
The predatory instinct is present to some extent in all dogs. Some breeds, like mine, just have a stronger prey drive. A strong prey drive doesn’t make them bad dogs, it just means they have the instinct to hunt and will do so when given the chance. It is hard, especially when the days are hectic and tiring, but to avoid the awfulness of seeing a helpless animal injured or killed I know my dogs can’t go outside without being monitored.
Please remember that you can prevent the pain, suffering and fatalities caused by domestic pet attacks. Be responsible for your pets’ actions — don’t allow pets to roam unsupervised, even in your own back yard.
Recent Releases
Five eastern cottontails, five mourning doves, a marsh rabbit, a peninsula cooter, a downy woodpecker, six northern mockingbirds, three common grackles, a laughing gull, an osprey, an eastern screech owl, a grey squirrel, a gopher tortoise and four Virginia opossums were released this past week.
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