In today’s bizarre news out of Colorado, a beloved tortoise named Howard went on quite an adventure, stolen from a pet store in Colorado Springs in recent days.

Per a June 17 post from Scales ‘N Tails pet store, Howard was taken from his outdoor pin while he was enjoying sunlight and fresh air in front of the shop. The thieves reportedly “violently shoved” Howard into a car and drove off.

Howard was a well-known character among the store’s customers, with patrons able to interact with the giant reptile during their visit. He became the store’s resident pet in 2011.

Following the theft, Scales ‘N Tails posted about the incident online, with a related Facebook post garnering more than 5,000 shares. The post included images of the suspect vehicle and the suspected abductor.

Fear not, though – this story has a happy ending.

According to a June 18 post from the Colorado Springs Police Department, authorities were able to quickly track down a suspect in the case thanks to information provided by Scales ‘N Tails. On June 18, the suspect was located at a local hotel and taken into custody, but Howard wasn’t there. That said, through a bit more investigation and additional interviews, the police department was able to track him down.

Howard was safely recovered and reunited with his owner. Life moves slow when you’re a tortoise, but thankfully, this investigation moved fast.

“Howard is HOME!!!!,” read a follow-up post from Scales ‘N Tails. “Huge thank you to the community and CSPD for their hand at bringing him back. The amount of love and support from our Colorado Springs community and beyond is overwhelming to fathom. This tortoise doesn’t just belong to us he belongs to the entire community who shared and relentlessly took time out of your days to like and share and communicate with each other and CSPD to bring him home. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!”

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