FOUND! Missing Modesto tortoise returns home | Animal Lovers

MODESTO, CA - After four days of searching for their 12-year-old boy, a Modesto family was reunited with their 70-pound tortoise Sam Monday night.

He was found by a neighbor a block away from the family's home, but they weren't sure who to call until they saw a story about Sam on Monday's News10 at 11.

"We've done Craigslist postings, facebook postings, we've contacted the police," said Sam's owner Aimee Edwards-Altadonna. "I made flyers. I've gone online, I've gone door-to-door. I've gone park-to-park."

Edwards-Altadonna said the gardeners at her home on the 2000 block of Ellis Street accidentally forgot to latch the bottom lock of their wooden privacy fence on Friday. She believes Sam pushed the door open and fled down the street. 

Edwards-Altadonna, her husband Vinny and their two young children had been searching for Sam ever since. 

"I've done lostmydoggie.com- where they do an amber alert via phone to all your neighbors. They called about 600 people," Edwards-Altadonna said.

Her efforts paid off.

Sam was reunited with his family Monday night in good health after a kind neighbor "spoiled him with every kind of fruit imaginable," said Edwards-Altadonna.

By Natalie Sentz, nsentz@news10.net