Randy's Turtle Rescue is a Non-Profit Foundation. Because the majority of our activity has been in Colorado and Oklahoma we were Incorporated as a Non-Profit Foundation in both States.
As of April 15, 2016 we have discontinued operations in CO. In late 2015 we relocated to Oklahoma.
We are dedicated to educating individuals as to the need to recognize the God given rights of turtles to exist in nature without being subjected to the inhumanities of mankind.
Our primary mission is to prevent turtles from becoming "road kill".
We provide sanctuary for rescued turtles until they are relocated to permanent homes.
Our stated purposes are:
1. Preventing cruelty to turtles.
2. Education of the public as to how to protect wild turtles from injury and abuse.
3. Studying the habits and needs of wild turtles for scientific purposes.
4. Rescuing turtles from roadways.
5. Accepting surrendered turtles from individuals who can no longer or are
no longer willing to care for turtles they have possessed as pets.
6. Obtaining treatment for injuries of injured turtles.
7. Providing sanctuary and care for turtles until such time as they can be returned to the wild.
When return to the wild is not in the best interest of the turtle they will be provided care and sanctuary
until such time as they can be adopted out to a permanent care giver.
A substantial part of the activities of Randy's Turtle Rescue shall be activities that meet the requirements of
section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.
While we have not yet completed the process to be recognized as a 501(c)3, we are in the process.
Since MAN has deemed it necessary to build our migratory paths across the natural migratory paths of Turtles,
with total disregard their natural entitlement to the safe use of their migratory paths.
We at RTRFC have undertaken the rescue of as many of them as we encounter.
It is our understanding that Box Turtles establish a territory and live out their lives in that small territory about 5 acres.
We have been told that prior to establishing their own territory that young turtles move in one direction and do not back track.
We have seen some indications to suggest this is true. Little Girl, the young turtle pictured above when rescued, was traveling toward the Northeast, when the turtle was picked up it was placed in a container on the seat of the vehicle, she went to the Northeast corner of the container. Every time we changed direction she would move to the new Northeast corner of the container.
We also understand that if you relocate a Box Turtle, that is taken from the wild and release it some distance away, in the wild, that the Turtle may spend years finding its way "home". For this reason, when we rescue box turtles from roadways we do not release them to the wild, but keep them in a sanctuary until we find them a suitable place to live in captivity.
Our long term goal was to create at least two "preserves", one in southern Colorado and one near Duncan, OK.
These preserves were be constructed so as to allow rescued turtles to roam free in a natural environment,
surrounded by a barrier and fence that will prevent their attempts to return to their original territory, thus preventing them from returning to the roadway and possibly becoming "road kill". Additionally these environments would limit predators, while providing a natural environment for rescued turtles and facilities to care for injured turtles.
This lofty and worthwhile goal will take financial resources and a couple pieces of property.
As of December 2015, the two primary board members retired and all three board members relocated
to Duncan, OK. We are not renewing our Colorado Non-Profit and will only provide services to Colorado when
a friend or family member in Colorado is able to take possession of a "surrender" turtle and bring it to us.
When we adopt out box turtles we only adopt them out two or more at a time to one family. In observing the one hundred plus box turtles we have rescued over the past years we have discovered that even though most people say that they are not social animals (mostly because they lay their eggs and leave, meaning the hatchlings are left on their own) box turtles do interact and for the most part their interaction is positive. We rescued one old female Western Box Turtle from a pet store she was shell, skin and bones and very near dying, with serious eye infections (from lack of Vitamin "A"). She was placed in a tank next to two Desert Box Turtles (one male, one female) the interaction was interesting. We believe the interaction was beneficial to her full recovery.
Oklahoma Filing Number: 2112180154 - Randy's Turtle Rescue Foundation