Hi everyone, and welcome!
I am the founder of the Alliance for Giant Tortoise Welfare (AGTW). We are a fast-growing, grassroots advocacy coalition of keepers, rescues, and herpetological advocates dedicated to establishing common-sense exotic breeding regulations, protecting consumers, and ending the tragic cycle of giant breed abandonment.
Our campaign focuses specifically on the Sulcata giant tortoise breed. Every year, commercial mass distributors, trade show brokers, and casual backyard operations flood the market with cheap, impulse-bought hatchlings. Uneducated buyers are told they make easy pets, completely unaware that these sentient creatures grow to 150+ pounds and live for over 70 years.
In cold-weather states like Illinois, this results in an absolute tragedy. When winter hits, these highly intelligent animals get locked away in dark, freezing "basement prisons" because owners cannot afford the immense space or surging electric bills. Rescues nationwide are at their absolute breaking points, taking in tortoises that are severely sick, starved, and heavily pyramided.
We want to be 100% clear: The AGTW is fiercely AGAINST animal bans. We are keepers who love reptiles. Our blueprint protects responsible hobbyists while targeting the root of mass-produced neglect:
• Isolating the Crisis: Our proposal strictly targets non-native species that reach over 60 lbs but sell for under $150. This completely protects rare conservation species (like Aldabras) from overregulation.
• Commercial Accountability: For high-volume expo distributors, we demand digital point-of-sale education locks and a 48-hour cooling-off delivery period to permanently eliminate trade show impulse buys.
• Hobbyist Protections: Private keepers retain a fair "clutch cap." Anyone breeding above that minor threshold must submit physical proof of dedicated, climate-controlled winter rooms capable of safely sustaining 100+ lb adults.
• Safe Microchipping: To prioritize animal health, microchipping mandates only take effect once a tortoise reaches a safe physical maturity threshold (4+ inches or 1 year old), backed by breeder sales logs prior to that mark. This also serves as a vital safety net to help animal control quickly reunite lost or escaped pets with their families.
Our Goal:
We are building our initial legal blueprint by petitioning lawmakers to amend the Illinois Herptiles-Herps Act, and our ultimate goal is to scale this exact framework nationwide. We are already collaborating with active 501(c)(3) rescue partners and the Chicago Herpetological Society board.
We are a purely grassroots movement. We ask for zero money—only your signature to show lawmakers that the public demands accountability in the exotic pet trade.
Please take 30 seconds to sign our official petition and join the movement today!👇
[https://c.org/MmZpkWbcdC\](https://c.org/MmZpkWbcdC)
Thank you for standing with us and giving these gentle giants a voice! 🐢💚