Arizona: Seventy pound tortoise saved from becoming roadkill by police officers

ARIZONA -- Police in Arizona rescued a very large tortoise on Thursday.

Authorities are looking for the owner of the tortoise. The massive animal weighs about 60-70 pounds and was found in a local neighborhood.

Gilbert Police Department posted on Facebook July 13 at 2:15pm ·

This Tortoise certainly is faster than a hare. Officers Zamora and Fisher rescued this runaway tortoise this morning (near N Velero St. & Cayman Dr.) and are looking for the owner. If you have any information please contact the Gilbert Police Department's non-emergency number at 480-503-6500.

A sergeant joked the foot pursuit was a very short one.

Officers brought the tortoise back to the police department and are keeping it in a police dog kennel until they can locate the owner.

Officers guess that the tortoise is a male. They’ve named it “Patty” for now.

Gilbert Police then took to social media to get the word out about the missing tortoise.

But as it turns out, there was a lot of lost tortoises in the area.

"So there have been a lot of people who have come by to see if this is their lost tortoise, but unfortunately it turns out there's just a lot of lost tortoises in the valley," said reporter Amanda Goodman, 3TV reporter.

The latest plan was to turn the tortoise over to the Herpetological Society, which is better equipped to foster him until he can be reunited with his family.

UPDATE TO STORY:

Gilbert Police Department posted on Facebook July 14, 2017 ·
‪Exciting news! Our special visitor 🐢 found his owner! Thank you all for helping us spread the word and connect him with his family.
🚔💙‬

(WTNH - July 13, 2017)