Found! A pet tortoise returned home after being missing a week in the Port Washington wild
A 23-year-old pet tortoise returned to its Port Washington home Friday afternoon after it went missing a week ago.
For seven days, Port Washington resident Brittany Hudson and her family scoured the neighborhood for evidence of their beloved pet Augusta, who goes by Gus.
Hudson's neighbor found the 25-pound tortoise roaming around his driveway after mowing his lawn. When Hudson's car pulled in, she saw her beloved tortoise trying to walk into his garage and her neighbor holding the flyer she and her son passed around the first day Gus went missing.
"I'm still in shock," Hudson said. "I'm just so glad she's home."
"She had a piece of a dandelion green hanging out of her mouth and looked a little muddy," Hudson said. "But she's in good condition."
Hudson's phone has been flooded with joyful messages from friends and family members expressing relief over Gus' return.
Hudson woke up from a nap before a nursing shift Friday, Sept. 22, and discovered that Augusta was missing. The South American red-footed tortoise had pushed the back end of her backyard enclosure open, unwittingly embarking on a perilous journey outside the Hudson home near East Monroe Street.
In the seven days since Gus escaped, Hudson and her family hung flyers and got the word out on social media, including posting on Facebook and TikTok.
The 23-year-old tortoise is young, considering tortoises in captivity can live between 50 and 90 years. Hudson has had Gus since she was 3 months old.
Hudson developed a fascination with turtles while spending summers at her parents' cottage growing up. Every weekend, she and her best friend would take the pedal boats onto the lake to catch painted turtles with a net.
Hudson was in college when she bought Gus in 2000. She used to attach Gus to a harness and leash so she could bring her along when Hudson studied at the park. Now, she and her kids delight at every opportunity to accessorize the tortoise with birthday hats and other fitting clothing items.
"I'm on Cloud 9 now that she's home," Hudson said. "I have all the adrenaline in the world. I don't think I'll need to nap before my shift at the hospital tonight."
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A missing pet tortoise in Port Washington has returned home safely
