This Woman Owned a Tortoise With an Attitude and Turned Her Into a Therapy Pet

by N/A, 10 years ago | 2 min read

Lisa Chicarella's African spurred tortoise, Wasabi, is no ordinary tortoise.

Wasabi serves as a therapy pet through various Maryland-based organizations likeÂ Pets Therapy UnlimitedÂ andÂ Pets On Wheels, providing companionshipÂ to hospital patients and nursing home residents, all the while wearing adorable, colorful dresses.

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"She's a distraction. It's not every day you see a giant turtle in a dress," says proud owner Lisa Chicarella.

"I gave her the name Wasabi [because] she was so shy I wanted to give her a name that said she was hot stuff. Little did I know how well she would live up to it."

But of course, not all tortoises wear dresses. Wasabi's fancy getup began for a practical reason however.

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.

Immediately, the outfits were a hit, and Wasabi was being asked to make even more visits than before.

Now, at 16 years old with over five years of therapy experience under her shell, she's well-versed in making people smile.

"She gives people the opportunity to forget, even if it's just for a little while. She's my girl and I wouldn't trade her for the world."