Good Dog Gone Bad (BeauSpeak)

Beau, sleeping by Daddy's bed June, 8, 2026

Do I look like a bad boy? Mama says after 6 years, I am a Good dog gone Bad..

Sunday morning, Mama came flying in the door, grabbed her cell phone and was outside before

Daddy could finish his sentence, of “ what now?”

She came back with photos of a Gopher Tortoise, so excited she could not talk. Showing the pictures to daddy she was in “chat mode” and making plans to have a pet gopher, named Tommy Turtle, even though she said he/she is a Tortoise not a turtle.

Size about 10 inch by 6 inch wide

I told Mama I needed to go out, and when she opened the door I sprinted to the gopher and batted it with my paw, rolled it over like a basket ball, grabbed it with my teeth, it peed on its shell, I picked it up by putting my teeth inside he hole the head was and mama was yelling no at the top of her lungs and I would not stop until suddenly, I was yanked backwards by my collar and dragged in the house. I have never been yanked before.

She came into the house and called the neighbor behind us, which has a jungle back yard with raccoons and possums and 5 birdbaths and NO dog. She asked if they would keep it in their yard and they were thrilled and Ken and Jo came to the fence and Tommy was handed off to paradise. When mama left the fence, she could hear both of them talking to the turtle. She talks to her birds like Mama does.

 

Mama came inside and sighing with relief it was gone, she asked her cell phone what to feed a gopher tortoise and read to Daddy and Me for hours. 

AI said 

Do NOT feed a gopher tortoise, they are in USA a protected species, 

It is illegal to touch or handle a gopher tortoise in Florida without an official permit. Because they are a state-protected, threatened species, it is against the law to harm, harass, possess, or move them, as well as disturb their burrows. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission | FWC

She called Jo and said we just broke the laFish and Wildlifew and told her the story from Ai.

Imagine Mama’s surprise, when she did further research and found It is a Red Ear Slider and a menace to the entire world because it can survive anything, even crocodiles. Turtle Haven 

This means I am not a bad dog,The turtle is a turtle and was in no danger of me killing him. I did not try to kill an endangered species, and Mama will keep putting it in the neighbors yard. HA 

This is a good thing, because an hour after mama gave Tommy to Ken and Jo, he showed up right back in our yard… he stayed an hour and disappeared.

What this means is mama miss-ID and cause the whole ruckus.

AI says sliders appear in back yards when they are traveling to find a pond. Now we don’t know if he has been swimming in Duckhaven Pond or not. Will he stay? Will Mister and Missy have a new friend? 

She is going to call her today and let her know the FWL will not be serving us with a warrant when they read our blog.