Due to the large number of Red Eared Sliders (Trachemys Scripta Elegans) offered for adoption, Turtle Homes is now offering alternative solutions. This information strictly applies only to sliders. 

The Problem: You find yourself in possession of a red-eared slider and, while you have grown fond of it, you no longer feel you can take care of it properly. You have called different local shelters and none of them will accept the turtle. You begin to realize you have a problem. It is illegal to release a captive turtle into the wild. Not only is it a poor decision for the turtle (who has most likely become accustomed to being fed turtle food sticks it will not find in the wild), it is bad for the environment due to the parasites it may pass onto the surrounding population of turtles. By releasing a red-eared slider, you also risk having that slider breed with another turtle of its kind. Once a colony is established, it can push out the native species living in the area. If you have been contemplating wild release of your pet turtle(s), please reconsider. Your decision could have a serious effect on the environment, and drastically impact conservation efforts. The Solution: Turtle Homes will assist you in relocating your unwanted slider. However, you must understand that good homes are hard to find, and there is also a waiting list for these homes. Please review the following policy, and then follow these simple steps to ensure that we are able to obtain the best possible situation for your pet.

1. It is the policy of Turtle Homes that the person giving up the slider for adoption pays for any shipping of the turtle to a new home. We do our best to place your animal within your state so that the shipping can be avoided, however, if a home is found for your animal out of state, we require you to use one several recommended overnight shipping companies. Because there are too many sliders and too few homes, and the shipping cost will far exceed the market value for the turtle, it would be very difficult to find good homes for these turtles with a potential adopter without offering prepaid shipping. Depending on the size of your slider, shipping could cost between $24.95 and $44.00, depending on weight and size of the shipping box. Turtle Homes will fully assist and guide you through the shipping process at the time it becomes an issue. We request that you read our section on shipping turtles and tortoises.

2. There is no charge for placing the slider if we do not take possession of it.

3. Sliders are adopted out in the order that they are received. It could take only hours to find a home, or it could take several months. This time frame is entirely dependent on our success in finding a suitable home willing to take on the slider at the time you are conducting the adoption.

4. Adult sliders are only placed with adopters able to keep the turtle in a acceptable pond. These ponds are privately owned, mostly backyard habitats that are properly enclosed with sturdy fencing and are rendered escape-proof. Adult female sliders are too big to be housed in a fish tank or aquarium. The minimum amount of space acceptable for one adult slider is 100 gallons. That is just swim space. That should not include land and basking area, so a 100-gallon aquarium would be unacceptable

5. If you live in NY or the tri-state area, or are willing to drive to NY, and even then, only as a last resort, Turtle Homes will take possession of your slider, regardless of its size or condition.

6. People who opt to leave the slider with us are required to pay the shipping up front.

Aside from our adoption services, Turtle Homes is more than happy to provide any information regarding proper care of red-eared sliders, please feel free to ask!