Willy the tortoise makes low-speed dash for freedom in Southern Calif.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- It wasn't exactly a high-speed chase.

Willy the tortoise made a crawl for freedom this week, getting half a mile from the fenced yard where he lives in a doghouse.

Shelley Larsen figures the 200-pound shellback escaped after her 18-year-old son, Aaron, left a gate open Thursday.

Willy was corralled by a neighbor and Riverside County Department of Animal Services workers drove him to a shelter.

"I don't think the public realizes how big and how very strong tortoises are," department spokesman John Welsh said. "The whole shelter was abuzz. Willy is the size of a small bathtub."

The department posted photos of Willy on its Web site and he was recognized by Shelley Larsen's 21-year-old daughter, Lisa. Willy was back home after fewer than six hours of freedom.

It was the third time Willy has gotten out since the family bought him at a pet store for $130 for Lisa's 10th birthday. At the time, Willy could fit in the palm of a person's hand.

Willy is now so strong that he sometimes knocks down tables when he lumbers around their house.

"That's our family heirloom," said Larsen, 40. "He'll outlive my grandchildren."