Turtle Rescue and Rehoming

16/10/2026

BUSY here at Turtle Rescue. As the weather warms up, its time to start cleaning out ponds, filters, garden areas etc to prepare for moving turtles into ponds for summer. Last weekend I cleaned out the 5 x black 1000L ponds and the small inground pond and then transferred the 3 female Reeves into the inground pond as they're now fully awake after brumation. I was exhausted lol! The Reeves permanent pond will be cleaned out tomorrow and they will be transferred into there after Labour Weekend. Currently I have 4 smaller female RES sharing the pond with the Reeves. It's a real juggling act, ensuring safe transfer of turtles from one pond to another, from tanks to ponds and hopefully off to new homes too! I currently have many male and female RES, male ELNs and an adult male Reeves waiting for appropriate homes. Please contact me if you can adopt one of these gorgeous turtles. 0212020185. Check out the Reeves and sliders in the pond outside my laundry window.....always a lovely view watching them from the house :)

30/09/2026

"Leaf" has been adopted by a very committed, loving family and gone to live in a purpose built turtle tank. Within 24 hrs he's so relaxed with the family that he's basking, swimming towards the family members and obviously very happy with his new lifelong home! This is the very best outcome! Leaf is no longer a stray turtle being blown about in the wind. He's now part of a forever family! Please get in touch if you can provide a home for one of the many other turtles waiting to be adopted. ### 021 2020 185

19/09/2026

It's so lovely to see the warmer weather and the turtles starting to wake up in the outside ponds again. But DON'T be tempted to start with feeding or doing water changes or big pond cleans yet. We may have some beautiful days, but there's still plenty of cold weather around, especially overnight. Don't risk putting your turtle into cold shock and having it drown, or seeing them develop pneumonia symptoms in a few weeks/months because they developed a respiratory infection with the cold air temperatures because you 'woke them up' too early. Its soooooo tempting for me to move 11 female sliders out of the garage pond and into the outside ponds when the temperature is 20 deg. But then the night time can be -1 again! Just wait a few more weeks, the night time temperatures will be higher and we'll have less cold snaps to cause issues for the turtles :) Here's some pics of my happy basking turtles....but theres no food or water changes happening yet....even tho it's very tempting lol! :) Late October is best :)

09/08/2026

MALE TURTLES WAITING FOR ADOPTION: Check out their profiles and photos :) Can you help? A bath sized, fenced pond would also suit a single male turtle. Please contact if you can help....as there's currently no room for all the stray turtles that will start to be found now the weather is warming up :(
ADOPT ME 😊
MARVEL
Sadly, this poor boy was very neglected due to his owners’ circumstances.
He was living in a 30cm square tank full of putrid green water. No lights, heater or filter. He was starving and had been eating his floating turtle dock and the silicone holding his tank together.
He LOVES basking and his shell will improve dramatically once he sheds.
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ADOPT ME 😊
WHERO
Found as a stray, wandering in the red zone, Avonside in Jan 2024. Adopted in May 2024 but surrendered in Jan 2026 due to family circumstances.
Whero would love a new loving home. He’s in excellent health and estimated to be around 7 or 8 years old.
Are you his lifelong family?
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ADOPT ME 😊
FRANKLYN
Male Red Eared Slider Turtle.
Franklyn was left behind in a business due to a liquidation sale. I was contacted by the liquidation firm and given two days to arrange removal. It was a hurried scramble to rescue Franklyn and his beautiful tank setup from an upstairs business…. with NO elevator! 😊
Franklyn has been waiting to be adopted since August 2025
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ADOPT ME 😊
KAKATI
Large adult male Red Eared Slider Turtle.
Sadly, dumped at a feed and grain store. Owner stated he was fighting his tank mate and then left.
Had multiple injuries and sores over his feet and limbs.
Was clearly traumatised and initially shy and hiding a lot.
Gaining confidence, starting to interact and loves his food.
Needs a patient, loving family and must never share a tank with another turtle. Very suited to a pond life.
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ADOPT ME 😊
HADLEY
Found as a stray, wandering on the road by Princess Margaret Hospital, Nov 2025.
He had internal infection, micro-ulcers, shell rot and has clearly had a pretty rough life prior to arriving at Turtle rescue.
Hadley is a social boy and can’t wait to be adopted and never need to be wandering the roads again.
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😊
LEAF
Small male Red Eared Slider, found Feb 2025 on a driveway in Aranui, being blown around with the leaves.
CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF BEING ADOPTED :)

04/08/2026

Well, it's been the most fantastic and exhausting time at the Selwyn Pet Expo, and I couldn't have done it without ALL the help from family, friends, volunteers and neighbours. Here's some pics from our very busy stall which had a number of different areas for fundraising, education and turtle experiences. :) Thankyou from the turtles and I for all the help and support :) Now if I could just get some turtles off to new homes...that would be amazing! :)

01/08/2026

Heres a few pics of our setup for tomorrows event at the Selwyn Pet Expo in the Lincoln Event centre. Theres a FABULOUS raffle prize and lots of other goodies for sale, including mugs, pens, t-shirts, pot plants and much more! :) Thanks heaps to Dan, Mike, Tim, Lisa, Alicia and James for everything that was done today. You guys rock! :)

30/07/2026

Two AMAZING people (James and his mum 🙂 ) have been busy supporting Turtle Rescue and Rehoming with fundraising, starting up a give a little page, printing all sorts of interesting turtle puzzles, bookmarks and other merch, organising raffles with fabulous prizes donated from local businesses, (including Elgregoe the Magician ), and have just been super fantastic! They'll be helping out and fundraising on Sunday at the Selwyn Pet Expo in the Lincoln event centre. Come and check us out if you can 🙂 $5 per adult and children free.

Turtle Rescue and Re-homing Christchurch

30/07/2026

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/turtle-rescue-and-re-homing-christchurch

Turtle Rescue and Re-homing Christchurch

13/07/2026

What should turtles really eat?
There's been a bit of chat lately promoting a variety of foods that are not safe for turtles.
Freshwater turtles, like Red Eared Sliders, are happy to eat lots of things that their metabolism is unable to process, leading to conditions like gout, organ failure and eventual death.
Just remember that turtles naturaly eat a fish based diet. They don't climb out of the water and eat cows or climb banana trees. While there's lots of things they will eat, not everything is good for them. In the wild, RES turtles are omnivores that eat leafy aquatic plants, insects, worms, and small fish. Fruits are too high in sugar for their natural metabolism and can cause stomach upset or diarrhoea. I've also had an extremely obese turtle come in who had been fed ham and luncheon meat.....she was so ill, all caused by her humans thinking it was cool to feed her highly processed food packed with salt, fat and preservatives. Turtles can't process that. So obesity, dehydration and eventual organ failure are the outcome. 🙁 Just stick to the basics of proven, healthy foods and keep a cuttlefish floating in the water for added calcium and to keep their beaks trimmed. Also turtles don't make saliva and have a fixed tongue, so they can't physically swallow food unless they're in water. 🙂 Be careful not to feed your turtle a food just because someone says their turtle likes it.

20/06/2026

HELP Needed! :) Can you drive a small, manual truck? Normally I drive it, but with 8 screws in my left foot, I'm now not comfortable driving this to Lincoln for the Selwyn Pet Expo on Sunday August 2nd.
I'm looking for some help to collect the truck from Antigua St on Friday July 31st and drive it a short distance to my place in Spreydon. Then it needs to be loaded at my place with 2 tanks, a pond, stands, trestle table, posters etc etc and driven to Lincoln to be unloaded for the Expo set-up on Saturday. Volunteers needed to load and unload the truck and setup the display :) The Expo is on Sunday and then we need to pack-down everything, reload the truck and unload it all at my place on Sunday evening. The last trip will be to drive the truck back to Antigua St on Monday Aug 3rd.
If you can help with ANYTHING at all, I'd love to hear from you.
Ph 021 2020 185
I only have 1 pic of the back of the truck and no special licence is required. :)