Calling All Bras: Animal Rescue Wants Old Fasteners to Help Save Turtles

Turtles don't wear bras, but apparently they can certainly use them.

An wildlife center in North Carolina has put out a call for bra-wearing animal lovers not to discard their old undergarments. The bra's back clasps can be used to help repair a turtle's broken shell, the Carolina Waterfowl Rescue said on Facebook on Thursday.

"It acts like a little fixator, it's the eyelets that we need," Keenan Freitas, who works at the rescue, told WBTV.

Most of the turtles that come through the center are hit by cars, Freitas said. The others are struck by boats or injured in nature.

So the fasteners, along with some wire, glue and tape, hold the broken shell together while the turtle recovers. When it's time for it to head back into the wild, workers at the rescue file the glue down a bit until the clasp pops off. And the turtle is good to go.

It's an easy way for the nonprofit to recycle old materials, keep costs down and continue helping animals in need.

"You can recycle something that would go into a landfill. ... They're helping a turtle. Who wouldn't want to help a turtle?" Freitas told the station.

The rescue has been flooded with questions since it posted about its need for unmentionables. The organization said it also needs earthworms for the turtles, most importantly. And along with the clasps, it could use romaine lettuce, fish tank filters, basking lights, UVB lights and loctite epoxy.

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