For Malibu Couple, Rescuing Tortoises a Way of Life

For the past two decades, turtles and tortoises have had a sanctuary in Malibu at the American Tortoise Rescue.

The non-profit, run by husband-and-wife-team Susan Tellem and Marshall Thompson, currently shelters more than 100 unique reptiles, including 25 to 30 different species.

"I think rescuing and re-homing more than 3,000 of these gentle creatures and the ability to give back to a creature who has been on the earth longer than the dinosaur but is disappearing thanks to habitat destruction [is most rewarding]," Tellem said.

Tellem and Thompson have been taking care of turtles since 1990, and six years later American Tortoise Rescue became a non-profit organization.

Currently, the couple has their hands full with a quartet of Sulcata tortoises, which are native to northern parts of Africa.

"They are personable like dogs, very large, interesting and need help," Tellem said.

American Tortoise Rescue was recently featured by , with donations matched up to $2,000 by the Malibu Country Mart. Also, the City of Malibu gave the organization a grant for $800 for veterinary care.

"We can always use donations – turtles are at the bottom of the pile when it comes to warm and fuzzy. Food is great – money is better," Tellem said.

Thompson said not everyone understands the cause.

"People in animal nonprofits often hear the criticism: 'Why aren’t you helping children with cancer?'" Thompson said. "The reality is no more than 1 percent of all charitable donations go to animal-related causes. We feel these very worthy human-focused causes won’t suffer from not receiving the 1 percent pittance that goes to protecting vanishing animal species."

Taking care of the turtles and tortoises everyday is a full-time job, but both Tellem and Thompson also have day jobs. Tellem is a partner in Tellem Grody Public Relations, Inc., a public relations, social media and marketing communications firm. Thompson is a photographer and videographer.

For them, taking care of the tortoises and turtles is a way of life. For now, they are looking for homes for the Sulcatas, which can live up to 100 years.

"Sleepy and Louie, as well as a very sweet girlie girl, must go separately to homes with no other tortoises unless they can be separated," Tellem said, adding that the family can have no dogs and or kids under 12.

"Ambitious new owners need to build them a cinder block fireproof house with a heated pad called a pig blanket as they are from Africa and need to have heat at night and on cold winter days as they do not hibernate," she said.

Local families are eligible and should email a photo of the habitat to info@tortoise.com. To learn more about American Turtle Rescue follow them on Facebook and on twitter @tortoiserescue.