Having a pet turtle is something that you will likely enjoy quite a bit. Turtles are fantastic pets that many people wind up loving.
However, you might have reached a point in your life when you don’t feel that keeping the turtle is the best choice. Perhaps you’re having trouble keeping up with the costs of caring for the turtle or you might simply be far too busy.
In this situation, you might think that selling the turtle will be the best idea. It’s important to take a step back to ensure that you’re doing things legally, though.
Where can you go to sell a turtle? What do you need to do to ensure that the turtle gets into the hands of a new owner who will care for it?
Continue reading to learn more about selling turtles. This should help you to feel confident that you can find the turtle a new home.
Look Into Local Laws
Before doing anything else, you’re going to want to look into the local laws about selling animals. Specific animals might be forbidden to sell depending on where you live.
Don’t assume that just because it’s okay to sell a turtle in one part of the country that it will be okay everywhere. For example, in the United States, laws can differ greatly between different states.
The same can be said for Canada, and you’ll need to look into the specific provincial laws if you’re a Canadian. Be very careful not to break the rules because you could wind up getting into trouble.
Once you’ve determined whether you’re allowed to sell your turtle or not, you’ll be able to proceed. Hopefully, you’ll be able to find a solution that works for your situation.
Note that even if you aren’t allowed to directly sell the turtle, there will be other solutions. That will be discussed more later.
You can also choose to sell the equipment that you use to take care of the turtle. There won’t be any laws against you selling the equipment and trying to recover some of your money that way.
1 – Find a Pet Adoption Center
Perhaps the best thing to do is to give the turtle to a pet adoption center. You might be able to find a pet adoption center in your area that will take exotic pets such as turtles.
They will have the necessary equipment to take care of turtles. Adoption centers have the resources to care for animals, and they have trained professionals who will treat all animals with the respect that they deserve.
If your concern is for the well-being of your pet turtle, then this will be a good choice. You can do a bit of research to see if you have pet adoption centers in your area.
Some of these adoption centers will work to place the pets in homes that will be able to do a good job of caring for them. This will make it so that your turtle will find a new owner who will love it so that you won’t have to worry or feel bad.
All of the potential new homes will be screened. It will be made sure that people can afford the pets and that they are ready to take on the responsibility of caring for a pet turtle.
2 – Find a Friend to Adopt the Turtle
Finding a friend to adopt the turtle is another good choice to make. This can make it so that you will still be able to visit the turtle as well.
You might be able to find a friend who is already caring for other pet turtles. Having someone in your life who already has the necessary experience will be very useful.
Of course, not everyone is going to know someone who has experience taking care of pet turtles. You could see if one of your responsible and financially stable friends is up to the task, though.
Before allowing a friend to adopt your pet turtle, it’ll be wise to inform them of what taking care of the pet entails. You want to prepare them for the responsibility so that they will be able to care for the turtle properly.
Doing things this way is more about putting the turtle in a good home with someone you trust. It’s less about trying to get money for your pet turtle.
3 – Give the Turtle to a Special Park
Giving the turtle to a special park might also be something to look into. There are parks out there that already have turtles that they take care of.
Your turtle could be one of the turtles in the park that is looked after by the staff. Look into whether you have any such parks in your area.
There is no guarantee that there will be a park that has turtles or takes care of turtles in your area. It’s worth checking into, though, since this could be a great solution to your dilemma.
You’ll be giving the turtle away, though. This is another option that isn’t about making money, but you can sell your turtle equipment after the turtle has been given away.
4 – Pet Stores
Some local pet stores might be willing to take the turtle, too. You’d be more likely to strike a deal with a local business than a large chain store.
If there is a local pet store, then you might be able to transfer ownership of the turtle to the store. This will make it so that the pet store will be responsible for the turtle moving forward.
They can then work to find the pet turtle a good home while caring for it in the shop. The practicality of this solution might depend on whether you have a good local pet business that will entertain you.
5 – Legitimately Selling the Turtle
If it’s legal to sell the turtle in your area, then you can try advertising that you have a turtle you wish to sell locally. This will give people a chance to come and check out the turtle.
Before selling the turtle, it’ll be appropriate to ensure that those who are interested are prepared for the responsibility. You don’t want your pet turtle to go to a home where it won’t be cared for properly.
You can try to look up what a decent price for your pet turtle will be online. Then you’ll need to do everything right from a legal standpoint based on your local laws.
I have two Associate’s degrees, one in Medical Assisting and the other in Computer Technician, and I am roughly five classes from a bachelor’s degree. Though I never ended up working in the medical field, I have five and a half years of experience in IT. I recently became a stay-at-home mom to my two young boys and also have two dogs and two cats. I grew up with pet dogs, cats, hamsters, budgies, cockatiels, and fish and also love horseback riding. In my spare time, I love to bake and read pretty much anything I can get my hands on.