[Teuthida]

They address the safety:

Pinting is safe for Koopa and he has created many paintings without incident in the 2 years we've been doing this. I would never put Koopa in a dangerous situation. I am a well-informed, educated turtle owner and I know that Koopa is not subject to any harm or stress when painting. His vet will attest to the fact that Koopa is healthy and extremely well cared for. The paints we use are washable, non-toxic, and rinse off easily. Koopa has been acclimated to being rinsed off in the shower and he is fully trusting of me. There is nothing about the process that I have second thoughts about.

HOWEVER...


We do not condone that anyone try to use their turtles to paint, hence the disclaimer. It is NOT safe to paint with most turtles. They might pull into their shells when afraid, getting paint into their eyes, nose or mouth. If not handled properly, this could easily lead to respiratory infections, blindness, and even death.

I have researched paints, done months of "dry runs" with Koopa, raised Koopa in a tank-free environment, and given him years of special attention and eye contact to the point where he has no fear of humans. Koopa and I are very fond of each other! My other 3 (non-artistic) turtles are not tame in this way and have no business anywhere near paint. I realize that some fools will no doubt disregard the disclaimer and put their own turtles at risk, but I strongly believe that the good we do for turtle rescue far outweighs the bad. There is no way any disclaimer is going to prevent idiots from attempting to duplicate whatever stunts intrigue them.