Big and Small Tortoise Rescue and Sanctuary

23/08/2025

Thanks for coming to the tour today! This group of kids was fun!

21/08/2025

Update - there will be a small group tour at 2pm. Please feel free to join. Message me for a address. :)

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The weather will be nice this weekend and if you want to schedule a time to stop in for a tour please message me!

Some recent photos as well!

15/08/2025

Thank you Reiman Gardens for the donated produce and flowers! The last batch of flowers was delivered at a good time, when most were hungry so they gobbled them up. Made me so happy - great nutritional treat and something that is hard to come by. The parrots even got hibiscus in their chop! Thank you for thinking of us!

10/08/2025

Update - Littlefoot has been found and returned :)

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Well now that we have the attention of the council bluffs region, we learned all about the missing and found tortoises of your area! 😆

We did figure out the owner of the tortoise who was found in Woodbine and it is in the process of being returned. Sadly people had spread rumors that it was stollen and the owner apparently thought WE had stollen it (we do not even have the tortoise here so that is not true, and I want to clear that up!), so unfortunately the conversation turned confrontation from "hello". Why do people think organizations and humane societies steal animals? I will never understand that and it's quite hard work we do just to be yelled at? So forgive me for being quite pi**ed when I am just trying to help the finder locate the owner. I also saw locals scolding the finder on social media for picking it up because they claimed the tortoise is allowed to free roam, which angers me when they absolutely did the right thing to pick it up. If by chance the tortoise would not return, it would die over winter, so do not scold anyone for picking up a tortoise. So the passion was high to say the least. But after talking it out, we got the situation figured out and I can tell their tortoise means a lot to them and they've had these tortoises a long time. Just need to reinforce the enclosure and maybe adhere a name tag with contact info or air tag to the shell, which sounds like they will do.

But in the process of searching for the owner of that tortoise, we learned of another family who lost their sulcata. There was a weak spot in their enclosure and he unfortunateluly slipped out. Their tortoise is named Littlefoot (pictured here) and is about 60 lbs. He went missing the afternoon of 8/9 from Mynster Springs Road Council bluffs IA near Hwy 183. Please if you have seen him or picked him up let us know!

09/08/2025

Update - thanks everyone for helping to put the word out. The owner has been found and the tortoise has been returned.

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Please share!! A sulcata tortoise was found today on a gravel road near Woodbine, Iowa and the finders are still searching for the owners. He or she looks well kept and surely the owners are looking for him.

05/08/2025

This is a courtesy rehoming post! There are two sulcatas in Clinton, Iowa looking for a new home.

Their names are Tom and Jerry, suspected male and female. They currently get along and are housed together, but ideally they should go to separate homes or a home with the ability to separate them when needed. Please message me for more details or questions about this.

They are needing a new home because they are getting too large for the owners. They are around 50 lbs. If you can provide a good home for one or both, please message me and apply at the link below.

https://bigandsmalltortoise.org/sanctuary/adoption/

04/08/2025

Thanks August Anderson for joining the tours and taking some awesome photos that were shared with the Iowa State Daily!

Your donation will support the student journalists of the Iowa State Daily. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment, send our student journalists to conferences and off-set their cost of living so they can continue to do best-in-the-nation work at the Iowa State Daily.

02/08/2025

Thanks for coming out for the tours! We may have a few more tours in the coming weeks if you missed it.

27/07/2025

This is a courtesy rehoming post for a redfoot and russian in Council Bluffs, IA. Darla is a 19 year old redfoot and Marley is probably similar aged Russian. Both are female. They have a massive setup and the owners just want to ensure they continue to have the space to roam in their new home. They do not necessarily need to be adopted together. Please if you can provide a good home for either or both, please fill out the adoption application at the link below and message me so I do not miss it.
https://bigandsmalltortoise.org/sanctuary/adoption/

Thank you!

27/07/2025

I *think* just maybe, Olivia ate a dragonfly. Not obvious at all. 😂 Great protein for the diet!

I love to see the enrichment they get from simply living outdoors!

17/06/2025

Update - this tortoise has been found and returned to its home!