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Tortoise well cared for at Cinemazoo

Animals housed at facility are rescued abused and abandoned exotic pets.
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Dozer the tortoise

In regards to Debra Probert’s comments on Dozer the Sulcata tortoise and his friend Sisi being used as a “cheap spectacle” as she put it, while it is true that the Sulacata tortoise is native to the Sahara desert I would like to point out that the temperature of the Sahara can drop below freezing over night.

The tortoises at Cinemazoo are fed daily and they are fed the best produce money can buy which includes 23 types of vegetables, hay and dandelion (when in season). Once a week, volunteers rub their shells with lotion fortified with calcium.

Dozer, the tortoise in question, has two close friends, a Siamese cat and Sisi the Chihuahua. To watch these friends out for a walk it is easy to see that they love it and each other. Anyone who has any basic knowledge of turtles and tortoises would know that if they were afraid or unhappy with the situation they would hide in their shells and not come out.

Dozer does not come out to shows very often, unless he is specifically requested (as he was for the Halloween parade) and in situations like that, the time that he is out is very limited and supervised at all times.

I would also like to clarify that the animals that Cinemazoo represents in the film and television industry are mainly cats and dogs that people have willingly registered with us because they want their pets to be in movies. The animals housed at our facility are rescued abused and abandoned exotic pets that are brought out to schools and daycares to educate children about responsible pet ownership.

The fact is that the Vancouver Humane Society frequently get their facts about exotic animals very wrong. Perhaps they are simply trying to sway public opinion and have organizations such as mine shut down.

However, if rescue organizations for these exotic animals did not exist, beautiful creatures such as Dozer would simply just be put to death when the owners no longer wanted them.

If the VHS is trying to sway public opinion about my organization all they are doing is hurting the animals by discouraging people from helping us care for and love these creatures. I firmly believe that they should stick to what they know, which is cats and dogs and if they are truly concerned about exotic animals living in this climate they should concentrate on sales of these pets and breeders.

I have included for you a picture of Dozer happy in his habitat with his friend Safi the Siamese Cat here at Cinemazoo.

Gary Oliver

Cinemazoo Entertainment Limited