BUDA, Texas — UPDATE: (August 31, 2019) UPDATE: Someone found the tortoise and contacted Hays County officials. Officials told the person to release the tortoise. The tortoise was released near Interstate 35 and the Blanco River. Lienemann is still searching for her pet.

ORIGINAL STORY: A tortoise in Buda has gone missing and her owner is offering a reward to get her back home.

  • Crescentia the tortoise is missing
  • Weighs 50 pounds, has flawed indentation on shell
  • Owner is offering a reward for her return

This week, Buda resident Rachel Lienemann noticed that her 50-pound Sulcata tortoise, Crescentia, was missing from her backyard.

"I just can't imagine that she would have gotten out. It's completely fenced in. Our gate was closed. We have dogs, you know. I think that she was just picked up by somebody," Lienemann said. "There's just nowhere she could have hid. There's just absolutely nowhere, so like as it kind of started dawning on me that she's not here, I was just kind of panicking. I'm like, you know, who would have taken her? I'm just worried for her. We want her back."

Lienemann believes Crescentia the tortoise was stolen from her home and is concerned she could be sold or traded.

"Craigslist, Facebook groups, there's reptile expos. I mean, there's just like a whole close knit group of reptile people out there, you know, and reptiles like this get traded pretty often," Lienemann said. "We have made a police report at Kyle PD. I've posted it on all the Facebook groups I can, I've shared it on our rescue page. I've shared it on like all the for sale and buyers' markets. We put up signs, we need to put up more, but basically I'm just trying to get the word out everywhere."

Crescentia is identifiable by a flawed indentation in her shell where a vet had to file it down.

"Someone's going to be able to see her. It's not like you can keep these turtles under wraps very easily." Lienemann said.

Lienemann said a similar tortoise was recently found in Leander, but it was a male and has since been returned to its owner.