As Spike the Tortoise heals from his run-in with a car last week that left him with a cracked shell, broken pelvis and other injuries, his medical bills are on the rise.
The 15-year-old African spur thigh tortoise who has become a mascot of sorts for the Wayside Christian Mission, where he lives, is improving at the Shively Animal Hospital and now there are two efforts underway to pay the veterinarians who saved him.
He was run over in Wayside’s parking lot on Jackson Street on Monday.
Spike has become a fixture on downtown streets because of daily walks downtown.
Over the last few days, Spike has begun eating and moving his legs but he’s not yet been able to walk around, Tim Moseley, the president and CEO of Wayside said in a Facebook post.
After he recovers, Mosely said they will need to find some sort of small “lift” device that will allow handlers to move him from place to place because they can no longer lift the turtle by its cracked shell.
African spur thighs can live to be 80 years old and weigh up to 240 pounds.
“He is much more alert, eating, moving his legs and responding to the people around him. His fractured pelvis is preventing him from being able to lift his body and walk, he still has not pooped, but he is eating and has made a positive turn,” Moseley wrote Saturday on Facebook.
Glenn Smith, of New Albany, has created a gofundme.com page that has raised nearly $9,000 for Spike. Smith said he has already delivered $5,000 to the Shively veterinary clinic.
Smith said he’s been involved with charities for years and leapt into action when he heard about Spike’s injuries. He created the GoFundMe page and did little to raise awareness about it, he said.
Smith said one person who asked to remain anonymous gave him $1,500. A man from Mexico has given him four contributions that totaled $500.
He got to meet Spike the first time on Saturday when he delivered the first installment of contributions.
“He’s just a majestic animal,” Smith said. He hopes to deliver another $4,000 or $5,000 next Saturday. He has set a goal of $10,000 but may increase that if Spike's medical bills increase.
Several Louisville bands are also doing a fundraiser for Spike at 8 p.m. Thursday at outerSPACE, behind Galaxie, at 732 East Market Street.
Admission is a $5 donation. The Black Birds of Paradise band is hosting the event. Sweatwolf and New Bravado will also play.
“Sweatwolf are huge fans of many other members of the animal kingdom, and when Louisville's most famous tortoise was accidentally run over by a vehicle recently, we knew we had to do something. Luckily, our bird pals in Black Birds of Paradise put together a benefit for Spike's expenses. Come out and get prehistoric,” Sweatwolf said on its Facebook page.
Reach Joe Gerth at jgerth@courier-journal.comr or (502) 582-4702.
