Tortoises are thick skinned, luckily.

[HazellB]

This evening I went to drop off some dog food for a friend who collects it to give to homeless people with dogs. The customers in my shop who say "keep the change" seem to like that charity idea, it's called Hearthounds by the way.

Anyhow, as I chucked the 12.5kg sack into the friend's porch, I noticed one of her little tortoises was right under where it would land. "Agh!" But too late, the whole sack was on him, balanced on one corner so he was carrying all the weight. He's only a little tortoise, maybe 8 inches long at the most.

Quick as I could, I grabbed the sack and moved it off him and my friend appeared through the door just in time to scoop him up and move him to one side out of my way.

Damned good job tortoises have a thick skin and can shrug these things off .....

A few years ago another friend who runs a boarding cattery lost a tortoise she'd been asked to care for only for it to turn up under the kitchen table being gnawed at by her Pointer. It went home scratched but otherwise fine by all accounts.

Any other tortoise near death experiences out there?

[wendy]

Not under my watch. But I did was given a very small one who had been attacked by a JRT.
His shell was badly cracked and damaged and he was stuck with plasters. But he healed and lived for many, many years. Until my SIL left the back gate open I did have 4 at one time and two of those went with him as well
I love tortoises.

[Mo]

Until my SIL left the back gate open I did have 4 at one time and two of those went with him as well

As a child had one for a few days. I found him in the road and put him in the back garden. He ate all the bedding plants then wandered off. I suppose I thought he'd stay with me because he qould love me.
We lived with my grandparents at the time so no pets except (goldfish and captive ladybirds) and I harboured fantasies of accepting a kitten and keeping it hidden in my bedroom.

[Benny&Co]

Wow clever tortie!

I remember we had two when we were kids - Sally and Ben. Ben ran away

They were ace, I love tortoises.

[little brown hen]

When I was a child I found a tortoise walking across the road. So I picked it up and carried it home, fortunately facing away from me, because it started to pee, and it just kept going!
I couldnt believe something that little, about the size of a tea plate, could have that much fluid inside it. I think we found its family, but I dont really remember what happened to it.
My dream was to have a pony, and I always hoped there would be a horse box outside our house when I got home from school, but as we were in the middle of a terrace it was never going to happen. But you can dream cant you.