This Woman Owned a Tortoise With an Attitude and Turned Her Into a Therapy Pet
Lisa Chicarella's African spurred tortoise, Wasabi, is no ordinary tortoise.
Wasabi serves as a therapy pet through various Maryland-based organizations like Pets Therapy Unlimited and Pets On Wheels, providing companionship to hospital patients and nursing home residents, all the while wearing adorable, colorful dresses.
During her first winter as a therapy pet, Chicarella wanted to make sure she stayed plenty warm, so she covered her underbelly in heat pads and wrapped them with a makeshift diaper.Â
"You can imagine the remarks we got. A giant turtle in a diaper. So, my friend made her a dress to cover the diaper," says Chicarella.
Now, at 16 years old with over five years of therapy experience under her shell, she's well-versed in making people smile.