Christmas Came Early for this Texas Tortoise Lover

Get our free mobile app

When we say Texans love their pets we mean it! 

As odd as it sounds, we know that people who love their pets, really love their pets, no matter what kind of pet they have and this includes tortoises.

Former San Marcos mayor lost his beloved tortoise.

And for former San Marcos Mayor Daniel Guerrero, who lost his tortoise named Diego a month ago, Christmas thankfully came early for this Texas tortoise lover.

Diego, a whopping 25 pound South American tortoise, went missing by wandering through a weak part of his owner's fence, leaving Guerrero absolutely frantic.

When Guerrero first reached out via social media to let people know his pet was lost, he offered a very heartfelt message explaining, "He is a 25-lbs yellow-footed tortoise and not a turtle. He should not be placed in the river he would not survive. He won’t survive the next cold front if he is not found and returned home soon."

The former Texas mayor even offered a $1,000 reward for his pet's safe return. He feared a motorist likely found him and would mistakenly place him in the river.

If only tortoises could talk!

Now how he got there is a mystery, if only tortoises could talk, but Christmas came early when after 38 days of living on his own, Diego was found safely near a riverside and returned to his incredibly grateful owner, Guerrero. Apparently, some stray cats were harassing the tortoise which drew the attention of the property owner, perhaps saving Diego's life!

Let us know on our station app if you have a unique pet that you love like Guerro loves Diego! We are so happy they have been reunited!