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Adopt ABELARDA

Mixed Breed · Unknown · 10 years

ABELARDA is a beautiful African tortoise, precisely a sulcata tortoise, a protected animal by CITES, because it is among the species considered to be endangered. It does not hibernate and, during the cold season, needs to be kept warm, in a fairly large room to accommodate it, but often it is precisely its huge size that causes it to be abandoned. ABELARDA has lived for ten years at the Parco animal shelter of Enpa Monza: found in a field, she ran the risk of being packed by a grain machine and would have died a terrible death, if a farmer, at the last moment, had not noticed. ABELARDA spends most of the day exposed to the sun. As a reptile, it has a minimal level of empathy: it associates the people who care for it only for the food, so when the volunteers arrive with salad or fresh fruit, she goes and meets them. At the Enpa Monza animal park, she lives in part of the dog shelter, together with other rescued animals, which have found a home here and with the volunteers a caring family. ABELARDA is a survivor of human superficiality and perfectly represents all those animals that are taken on a whim, without knowing anything about the species and their needs.

Read original (it)

Abelarda è una bellissima testuggine africana, precisamente una geochelone sulcata, animale protetto dalla CITES, perché fra le specie considerate in pericolo di estinzione. Non va in letargo e, nella stagione fredda, necessita di essere tenuta al caldo, in un locale abbastanza grande per accoglierla, ma spesso proprio la dimensione gigantesca ne causa l’abbandono. Abelarda vive da dieci anni al Parco rifugio di Enpa Monza: trovata in un campo, corse il rischio di essere imballata da un macchinario per il grano e sarebbe morta in modo atroce, se un contadino, all’ultimo momento, non se ne fosse accorto. Abelarda trascorre la maggior parte della giornata esposta al sole. In quanto rettile ha un grado di empatia minimo: associa le persone che l’accudiscono solo per il cibo, così, quando i volontari arrivano con l’insalata o la frutta fresca, lei parte e gli va incontro. Al parco rifugio Enpa di Monza, vive in una parte del canile, insieme ad altri animali salvati, che qui hanno trovato una casa e nei volontari una famiglia accudente. Abelarda è una sopravvissuta alla superficialità umana e rappresenta alla perfezione tutti quegli animali che vengono presi per capriccio, senza nulla conoscere della specie e delle esigenze.

Size
Extra large
Age
10 years
Location
🇮🇹Rome
Shelter
ENPA
Living with ABELARDA
  • Has special needs
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Cared for by ENPA · RomeLearn about Mixed Breed

Listed 1 month ago

About ABELARDA

What life with ABELARDA looks like

ABELARDA is a extra-large adult mixed breed animal waiting at ENPA in Rome.

Every animal has their own temperament and history. The shelter knows ABELARDA far better than any listing can convey — ask about daily routine, ideal household, and what kind of adopter they're hoping for.

Note from the shelter: Requires heated indoor space during cold weather, needs large living area, does not hibernate

🇮🇹Adopting from Italy

Italian canili require adopters to sign a stewardship contract (affido) and may retain the right to verify the animal's wellbeing post-adoption. Animals are chipped and sterilized before leaving (Legge 281/91). Public canili rifugio typically waive adoption fees.

Rome, Italy browse more animals in Italy.

Frequently asked

Adopting ABELARDA, answered.

How do I contact the shelter about ABELARDA?
Use the phone, email, or website link in the sidebar of this page. ENPA handles screening and the adoption contract directly — TailHarbor doesn't broker the conversation. When you reach out, mention you saw ABELARDA on TailHarbor so they know which animal you're asking about.
Can I adopt ABELARDA if I live in another country?
Yes, in most cases. Rescues across Europe routinely place animals abroad — ENPA will tell you what they need (EU pet passport, rabies titer, transport coordination) and whether they handle transport themselves or refer you to a partner. Plan for an extra €100–€350 in transport costs depending on distance.
Is ABELARDA already vetted, vaccinated, and chipped?
Most animals on TailHarbor leave their shelter with sterilization, current vaccinations, microchip ID, and an EU pet passport included in the adoption fee. The vet status on this page reflects what the shelter has reported — ask them directly if you need details on specific vaccines, recent bloodwork, or chronic conditions.
What happens if ABELARDA isn't the right fit?
Every reputable rescue accepts an animal back if the adoption genuinely doesn't work — that's part of the standard contract. Talk it through with ENPA early rather than rehoming privately; they know ABELARDA and can place them more successfully than a second-hand listing can.
Why does the description sometimes read awkwardly?
TailHarbor translates shelter descriptions into English from the source language (IT). Translation is imperfect — names of streets, donors, and shelter-specific terms occasionally slip through unidiomatically. For the cleanest read, click the source link to see the shelter's original page.
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Adopt ABELARDA — 10yo Mixed Breed in Rome | TailHarbor