Common Ground
A homeowner in Waukesha for 20 years, Steve is president of the Waukesha Dog Parks Organization and enjoys motorcycling, fishing and staying on top of politics.
Good-Bye Peetrie
By Steve Bukosky
Monday, Aug 6 2007, 10:32 PM
Managing a pet store means turning over many types of animals. Never would I have thought that a person could become attached to a tortoise. We have some African spurred tortoises and while not on the same level as a cat or dog, do have some personality that you can get attached to. One of the tortoises is yet to have her name announced from a contest, but she seems to recognize some people and has on occasion responded to my calls to change direction and come towards me.
Peetrie is a smaller tortoise. He is a few years old and still can be held in one hand where the other is twelve and weighs around 60 pounds. He's been with us for about as long as we've had the store and Pat has nursed him though a respiratory infection. When you do that and feed and clean him each day for many months, you become attached more than the wonderful pets that are here for only a few days or weeks until going to a new family.
Recently, a family had the occasion to tend to a similar tortoise for a while and decided it was a pet that they could love. One fact of business is that everything is for sale. Some tears were shed but we knew Peetrie was going to a good home.
