UPDATE: Urge Hoyt Lakes, MN, to Nix Upcoming Turtle ‘Race’!
Update (July 28, 2025): To our knowledge, this event took place as scheduled. Please continue to contact the organizers urging them to cancel plans for future turtle ‘races’ at the annual Hoyt Lakes Water Carnival!
Original post:
Apparently, the city of Hoyt Lakes, MN, intends to host their annual turtle “race” this Friday. The event appears to be sponsored by the “Hoyt Lakes Water Carnival.”
Turtle-racing events typically involve removing wild turtles from their habitats, keeping them confined, changing their diets, and otherwise traumatizing them. Competitors at the races make loud noises to scare them in an effort to encourage them to move faster. Turtles only move quickly when they believe their lives are in danger. This specific event appears to encourage participants to return turtles to their “natural habitat.” Sadly, turtles exploited in such events typically aren’t returned to the exact same place they were found, which decreases their likelihood of survival. Passing turtles around among humans or housing them together, a common practice when they’re used for such events, risks infection.
Please politely urge the following Hoyt Lakes Water Carnival committee to scrap this cruel event and leave the turtles in peace in nature, where they belong!
Call the Carnival Committee President, Dan Darbo, at: 218-780-4834.
Call the Carnival Committee Vice President, Nikki Swanson, at: 218-393-2185.
Call the Carnival Committee’s turtle race organizer, Rachel Benda, at: 218-750-3014.
To send a message to the Carnival Committee, please copy and paste these e-mail addresses: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
