A LONELY turtle from Herbrandston is looking for a new companion, to help bring him out of his shell.

Since the death of his best friend Tango earlier this year, ten-year-old Tuppence has lost his lust for life, says owner Liam Boulcott.

“Many people might think the idea of a lonely terrapin silly but he is a shadow of his former self,” said Liam, practice manager of the Narberth branch of Herbrandston and Narberth Dental Practices.

“He ignores the flies resting on the water, he lazes about under the sunshine or his hot lamp but takes little interest in his surroundings.

“He is definitely lonely.”

Tuppence is just one of the many pets the practice uses for 'animal therapy', where apprehensive child patients are introduced to the animals to help establish trust, and ease their nerves.

Now, in a bid to cheer up this former ‘lively character’, Liam has taken to social media, to see if anyone has a similarly sized American Freshwater turtle or terrapin that would like to move into Tuppence’s ‘luxury accommodation’ in Herbrandston.

Finding a good match for Tuppence had proved tricky so far, said Liam, as a baby animal would be too small, and older ones are hard to come by.

“You cannot easily buy such an animal but they often become unwanted pets when they become large and people have been known to let them loose in UK waters,” he said.

“This is not a good idea as these animals cannot survive our cold winters and so they are often rescued.

“This is how we came by Tuppence in the first place: a 'rescue animal'.

“To date we have received little luck in finding a friend and so perhaps the readers of your newspaper might be able to help.

“If so, it would make a sad turtle very happy.”

A specially made outdoor pond for summer and a 3,000 litre fish tank for winter await, he added.

If you can help, contact Liam on 01646 690580 or email patients@healthysmile.org.uk.