Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable-Pet-Week: Lian

Who could be more perfect for Space Paws first featured pet than Lian?!

Huh??? I thought Space Paws did cats? Well, most of our fosters have been cats 'cause that's what we've found or been given. But this is Maryland folks! Home of the Terrapins! I went to school in College Park and passed by Testudo every day! So when I saw Lian, I knew she was for us!

This week is Petfinder.com's Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable-Pet Week, a week dedicated to spotlighting those pets that are most often overlooked in shelters. It's all about getting people to take a second glance -- and give a second chance -- to those pets whose only crime is being a little older, the "wrong" color, an "uncuddly" species, or otherwise "less adoptable" -- but who have just as much love to give.

So BlogPaws Be the Change for Pets, tons of folks across the intertubes, and I are taking up the cause for the next Be the Change Challenge! We're spreading the word about the many great adoptable pets who sit in shelters for weeks, months, and even years waiting for their forever home while the cute and cuddly kittens and puppies get snapped right up.

Here's Lian's story, courtesy of her foster organization. (Just a side note, my pastor and her hubby have had a tortoise for years. He's the perfect pet for them and they interact with him every day. And, for them, turtle and tortoise longevity was a big draw, as passages to Rainbow Bridge are much less frequent than with our furry companions.) Lian is a red eared slider, an aquatic turtle, which will mean a more work to maintain a healthy habitat. Those of you who have fish know all about that. If you already have a fenced year with a pond, you've got the makings of a perfect fair-weather place for Lian!

Lian has been in foster care for over two years now. We had a home lined up recently, but it fell through. but it fell through.

Lian has been blessed, but she still needs a home! She was at the 2008 BARCStober Festival in Baltimore and took part in the Blessing of the Animals. Still, she's a slightly special needs girl and she's been waiting over a year for the right home! She's overcome so much, can't you give this little fighter her first real home?

Her shell is deformed - whether it's congenital or from an old injury, we can't tell. One side is shorter than the other, and is likely to stay that way. She arrived using only one leg (but was still able to pull herself onto a basking log!), but now she uses all four legs, and has improved so much, we think she might be able to live in a fenced-in backyard pond during the warmer months, although she won't turn up her nose at a 50, 55, or 75 gallon tank or Rubbermaid stock tank, either! It's best if she's the only turtle in the tank, or if she's living with turtle of a similar size (another sub-adult female slider). She probably shouldn't hibernate at this point, but we'd have to see how she deals with living outdoors before we say for certain. She's also recovered from old shell rot, which is why her shell looks so ragged. Lian is a fighter and deserves a chance at her first good home.

She was surrendered to animal control when her family moved, which was probably the best thing for her. She was dropped off in a 10 gallon aquarium in 4" of water - that's what she'd grown up in since she was a hatchling. She wasn't used to swimming when she arrived at her foster home, and was only using one leg when she arrived, but has gradually adjusted to deeper water . Lian eats well, likes her Reptomin pellets and leaf lettuce, but she really loves a treat of plain cooked chicken or an earthworm. She begs and is very personable. Please review our adoption requirements for aquatic turtles at http://www.matts.petfinder.com if interested in adopting Lian.

How to Adopt: E-mail matts_adoptions@hotmail.com to request an application - make sure to indicate your CITY and STATE - and one will be e-mailed to you. Send it back with DETAILED description on how you will care for the pet (size of enclosure, food, type of water source, substrate, type of lighting, etc). If you already keep reptiles or amphibians, send a picture of one of your current enclosures and the animal. Once approved, send a picture of your completed set-up, then a time and location can be arranged for pick-up. We do not have a shelter - all fostering is done in our homes, so we meet in central locations such as downtown Baltimore.