Someone taped a bundle of balloons to the tortoise in Oceanside and sent it aloft on August 19. The balloons got stuck in a tree and the tortoise was cut down.
Now the San Diego Humane Society has given "Thomas the Tortoise" to Alicia Berg, an educational program instructor at Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego.
Berg has been following the tale of the abused Russian tortoise. She called the Humane Society regularly to check on him and to put her name on the adoption list.
Berg says Thomas will be going with her to schools and helping to spread the message that animals should not be abused.
