A woman in Arizona came across a baby tortoise in a deli cup that had been placed in a pet store dumpster for reasons still unknown. Disgusted, the woman is now taking care of the little reptile, while the internet is still trying to process the upsetting finding.
Jaime Simpson, who goes by embracingecho online, shared the heartbreaking moment. She is a VEDS and epilepsy advocate who often shares health-related content, as well as philanthropy and lifestyle posts. The clip attached above became one of her biggest in less than a day, garnering 3.2 million views, 245,900 likes, and more than 3,100 comments.
The Arizona woman could be seen searching through a pet store dumpster and pointing toward a plastic deli cup with breathing holes. There was a small tortoise stuck in there. Shocked, she asked, “Who would do that?“
“He’s so scared. And there’s poop in there,” Jaime continued. “He probably pooped himself cause he’s scared half to death. It’s 103 degrees outside. There are flies everywhere. Look in there. Show how gross that is that they put him in there.”
Inexcusable
In the clip’s description, she said that she usually checks on pet store dumpsters for possible pet donations. Apparently, stores throw away the stuff they are unable to donate.
The woman contemplated confronting the pet store employees who allegedly got rid of the tortoise in such an inhumane way. However, she refrained from doing so, saying that they would probably take the tortoise back and get rid of it again.
Jaime and the man recording her tried to come up with some explanation for such an act, saying that the tortoise was perhaps sick. Still, they both agreed that placing the tortoise in a plastic container and then discarding it in a dumpster is inexcusable.
In a follow-up clip, the Arizona woman said an exotic vet identified the tortoise as a hatchling hybrid pardaris leopard tortoise. Tortoises such as the one in the clip can live up to 100 years and weigh up to 120 pounds. Moreover, they are protected in Arizona, so she announced that she was taking legal action against the store, which, according to her, didn’t take responsibility for what happened.
Reactions
The video sparked multiple responses, mostly from viewers angry at the pet store for its alleged behavior. One said, “That poor baby needs a vet.” Another one commented, “I hate humans.”
Others, however, believed the whole thing was staged. One commented, “Hear me out… Maybe the turtle was placed there for content.” Another one added, “Great skit. But next time don’t use animals for clicks.” Jaime clapped back against these accusations, saying she would never do such a thing.
Jaime is currently taking care of the tortoise and is looking to build an enclosure for it. She hopes that it becomes “the most spoiled tortoise in the world” and is currently looking for a name. The pet store’s name has yet to be disclosed.
