Michaelangelo had a swollen head and needed surgery, but Yvonne Montoya couldn't afford the $150 operation for her pet turtle.
That was just the beginning of Montoya's problems. Michael-angelo's veterinarian lodged a complaint with animal control officials, who seized Michaelangelo.Montoya found herself in Denver County Court on Tuesday, pleading not guilty to an animal cruelty charge. If convicted, she could be fined up to $999 and sent to jail for up to a year.
"Cruelty to animals is a serious charge, and I am the biggest animal lover, but I have four kids to think about," she said Tuesday.
"What's more important, my kids or that turtle? They're both important, but my kids will come first," said Montoya.
Montoya said it is a waste of tax dollars to charge her with cruelty to animals over a turtle, but Dr. Kris Ahlgrim, Michaelangelo's veterinarian, disagrees.
"They (turtles) don't have the same expression or the same be-haviors as dogs and cats so we tend to ignore their pain and their needs," Ahlgrim said.
Montoya took Michaelangelo to Ahlgrim Feb. 3 after noticing his swollen head. Ahlgrim said Michaelangelo had an infection and needed an operation.
Montoya said she couldn't afford it, but Ahlgrim was insistent and kept calling her about Michaelangelo, she said. Finally, Ahlgrim offered three options - euthanize the pet, relinquish it for surgery and adoption by another family, or pay for the operation.
She said she and her husband had not decided what action to take when animal control officers decided for them.
"They came and got him the next day," Montoya said.
Denver Animal Control officers seized Michaelangelo on Feb. 16, and Ahlgrim performed the operation on him. Denver Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Eugene Pei said Michaelangelo is doing well, but no thanks to the Montoyas.
"This was a blatant case of willful neglect, and willful neglect constitutes abuse," Pei said.
Montoya said her son Andrew, 5, owned Michaelangelo for a year and a half and was at school when Michaelangelo was taken away. She said he is devastated by the episode and has a hard time talking about it.
"I understand she (Ahlgrim) cares about animals, but she sure wasn't thinking of him (Andrew) when she did this," Montoya said.