PETA offers reward of up to £2,000 to find culprits after two turtles found in car park skip and 'left to die'

An animal charity is offering a reward of up to £2,000 to help find the culprits who dumped two turtles in a skip and left them to die. The female turtles were found in a skip on the car park in Gornal, Dudley on November 20, and were treated like "rubbish", rescuers said.

Describing it as "one of the most heartbreaking cases of neglect", rescuers at Proteus Reptile Trust and Brockswood Animal Sanctuary said one of the turtles had severe damage to her shell, which is believed to have been caused by heavy rubbish being tipped on top of her. She sadly died due to her injuries.

Now, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Foundation – a UK-based charity dedicated to establishing and protecting the rights of all animals – is offering the reward of for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

PETA vice president of programmes Elisa Allen said: “We’re calling on anyone who has information about this case to come forward so that whoever abandoned these animals can be held accountable and prevented from endangering anyone else. It takes a disturbing and dangerous lack of empathy to abandon living, feeling beings.”

PETA said that turtles and other reptiles sold in pet shops are either caught in the wild or bred in cramped, filthy breeding mills. The animals are often drugged and stuffed into suitcases so that they can be illegally smuggled across borders and any do not survive the journey, and those who do usually arrive in poor health, it added.

In addition, turtles are perceived as requiring minimal care, but they have very specific needs, including controlled temperatures, enough water to swim in, a large living space and a varied diet. Many exotic animals die within a year of purchase because of inadequate care, but when their needs are properly tended to, turtles may live for 25 years or longer, requiring a serious commitment of time and resources from guardians.

The RSPCA is urging anyone with first hand information about the incident to call its appeals line on 0300 123 8018.