Community Rallies Together for Friendly Neighborhood Tortoise Accidentally Run Over by Car
The tortoise cracked his shell and has to be hospitalized, his owner said.
— -- A tight-knit Kentucky community has rallied together to support a beloved, friendly neighborhood tortoise who's been hospitalized since he was accidentally run over by a car on Monday.
The accident happened late Monday afternoon in the parking lot of Wayside Christian Mission, where Spike the tortoise has resided for over a decade, according to Nina Moseley, Spike's owner and chief operating officer of Wayside.
A vehicle's front wheels ran over Spike, who then got stuck in the undercarriage, Moseley told ABC News today. About a dozen first responders arrived and used a jack to help free the 13-year-old tortoise, she said, adding that community members showed up to provide support.
Spike's shell was severely cracked, Moseley said. Once he was freed police helped escort him to Shively Animal Clinic and Hospital.
There, a veterinary team spent hours in surgery -- after closing time -- to repair Spike's cracked shell, according to Shively veterinary technician Denise Beckovich.
"He's a beloved pet and member of community for sure," Beckovich told ABC News. "We've been trying to do everything we can for him."
Spike's shell is "all repaired and great" now, but his prognosis still remains uncertain, Becovich said, explaining that the tortoise will likely be in the hospital for several more weeks until the vet staff can be sure about his recovery.
"We have to watch out for any soft tissue bruising or injuries to internal organs," she said. "And the biggest thing right now is that he hasn't been wanting to eat on his own, which isn't uncommon whenever a turtle or tortoise undergoes trauma."
Meanwhile, Moseley said she's received "overwhelming support" from the community and alumni of Wayside Christian Mission's substance abuse recovery program. She explained that she's received hundreds of well wishes and that one community member even set up a GoFundMe to help cover the tortoise's hospital bills.
"Spike has been a mascot at Wayside, and he's especially important to the folks in the recovery program," Moseley said. "He's been a living example for them, showing how like him, recovery is a slow and steady process. You can't hurry through it."
She added that the tortoise has been an "ever present" figure in the building, where he's lived "for so long that he knows how to get on the elevator and off on his floor."
Moseley said that she and Spike's caretaker, a previous recovery program member and current employee at Wayside, have been regularly visiting the tortoise at the veterinary hospital.
"We're hoping that the familiar faces will help lift his spirits up," she said. "We'd really love to thank everyone in the community -- from the police to the alumni to the hospital staff. Spike has been through a lot, but everybody has been so good to him."