Rockalina the turtle was neglected and uncared for on a kitchen floor for nearly half a century - and now she's getting another chance at a beautiful life. Garden State Tortoise is a turtle sanctuary in New Jersey that's gained a big social media following for their quirky turtle characters such as the ever-friendly Otis. But the story that really captures followers' hearts is the story of Rockalina. According to Chris Leone, owner of the sanctuary, Rockalina was taken from the wild by a boy in New York back in the 1970s - and ever since then she'd been living on a linoleum kitchen floor eating mostly cat food. The poor thing had cat hair tangled on her legs, unclipped claws that were bending in weird directions, and her beak even fell off at one point. Her eyes were covered in dead skin and she appeared to be near death herself. He told NPR in a recent interview: "It's still so moving ... there's something about Rockalina, where it was like, 'How on earth did she pull through this?' You know, she was mummified when we got her. Just awful! But thanks to Chris and veterinarians' expert care after coming to her rescue in February, she's doing well. And we have some even more AWESOME news - she just got a baby of her own, too! Aww! Chris revealed the turtle has been "getting to be a turtle because she was treated like anything but that for almost 50 years". And she's showing so much bravery, too. She likes to dig, chase worms, and eat strawberries. Her skin and eyes have improved monumentally, too. While speaking to the outlet, Chris said meeting her new pal was a moving moment for Rockalina: "That was the very first time she came nose-to-nose, like right in the face of her own kind." W0w! She'd never even been around other turtles for that long! Poor thing... He said the introduction went super well, too: "A lot of people think that turtles and tortoises are solitary by nature when they're not necessarily in love with each other ... But they absolutely occur in colonies and groups in nature. I had a feeling it was going to go well, and it did. And she instantly was curious. She walked with it. She almost seemed to stop and let it get a little bit ahead of her. And they just sniffed each other. They shared a strawberry. It was a beautiful moment." Related: Paris Hilton Volunteers At Animal Shelter & Fosters Displaced Dog Just DAYS After Her Home Burned Down You can see the ADORABLE moment (below): Rockalina's story isn't stopping here, though. Chris said he's got plans to build a whole family for her after all those years of neglect: "No pun intended, but I think slow and steady wins the race here with her. We just keep taking baby steps with her and eventually get to that end goal where she can just be as wild of a box turtle as she can be in a captive management situation." The story has helped grow Garden State Tortoise's rescue efforts, too, as their social media pages have seen a huge boom in followers. They recently hit 1 million likes on their Facebook page. Chris said of the accomplishment: "It's been unbelievable for us and a real blessing. But, more so for her species, for turtles. If we can get people to learn to appreciate them, leave wild turtles wild and just enjoy them and for all their beauty and charisma, then it's a win. And Rockalina has really been such a massive stepping stone for that." Such a sweet story, just in time for the holidays! You can hear more about Rockalina, her story, and Garden State Tortoise's sanctuary (below): We hope Rockalina lives a wonderful life with lots of new turtle friends. Reactions, Perezcious readers? [Image via Garden State Tortoise/YouTube] The post This Turtle Was Rescued After 50 YEARS Of Neglect -- And Now She's Finally Got A Baby Of Her Own! appeared first on Perez Hilton.