Ross Bridge is a friendly neighborhood in Hoover, Alabama, but not so for a quiet tortoise named Fred, who has been living in the backyard of Jayden Cannon’s home for the past eight years without any complaints.
Just last week, an unnecessary todo exploded when Jayden, 17, was sent a letter by the Ross Bridge Homeowners’ Association ordering Fred to vacate the community.
According to Al.com, since 2015, there have never been any complaints against Fred, but since then Sulcata tortoises had been added to the list of unacceptable pets at Ross Bridge.
Shy Fred stays to himself mostly, but is a hit among the children in the neighborhood. He doesn’t bark, he doesn’t break the law, and his grazing habits have been quite beneficial since Jayden admits he hasn’t had to mow the lawn behind his home for the last three years.
Now, the latest; the HOA had not responded as of last Friday when Fred’s story went viral, however the property manager for the community stated that the turtle can stay. The violation has been closed out, but the family was required to provide proof that Fred arrived in the community before the latest tortoise ban.
Fred’s Instagram page, save_fredthetortoise, had created a Change.org petition to help pay legal fees if the HOA didn’t change their policy for Fred. Jayden had been selling Save Fred t-shirts to raise funds.
Now that the issue has been settled, the money raised will be used to have a party for Ross Bridge residents who would like to meet Fred.
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