A Niagara Falls couple are hoping to find out why a bearded dragon was caught wandering around near a hydro field in Niagara Falls on Sunday.
Laura and Jeff Legros found out about the discovery made by a woman on Sunday and say that they went out to take care of the displaced lizard.
“It was just wandering around in her back yard. We think that he either got out, or someone might have let him loose,” said Laura to Thorold News.
The couple share their house with two other bearded dragons as well as two day geckos and four cats, and knew how to capture and handle the lizard, who came willingly.
“He snuggled right up to me when I picked him up. He has been loved and taken care of. You can tell he has been a house pet,” Laura continued.
Despite spreading the word on social media and returning to the neighbourhood where he was found later in the day, the couple has no lead on where the lizard might have come from.
“We went asking around but nobody knew him. People were clueless and didn’t even know what a bearded dragon is. They are not popular around here.”
Since the conspicuous creature should have attracted someone to step forward, Laura suspects that the lizard whose temporary name is ‘Cheeto’ due to his orange complexion, might have been set loose by someone either not prepared for the work - or in economic crisis caused by COVID-19.
“Bearded dragons are pretty much almost like babies. You have to bathe them every couple of days and cut up fresh greens for them all the time, and you can’t just give them the same stuff all the time. It gets expensive,” said Laura.
“But i find they get easier the bigger they are. I was just thinking that maybe in todays economy someone could not do with the dragon anymore. I hope that is not the case, because it would totally break my heart if someone just threw him outside. I really hope he is someone who just got out.”
Laura said she is considering taking Cheeto in to join her family as the fifth reptile member if no one else steps forward - although the interest to help out has been overwhelming.
Right now Cheeto is in self-isolation due to not getting along with the other dragons, Maxine and Charlie.
Through the pandemic, the crawly trio is lighting up the days for the couple as Laura stays at home with the animals and Jeff goes to work in the iron industry.
“They are like cuddly cats, except they are scaly lizards. You can wrap them in blankets, they fall asleep on you, if i don’t have anything to do i’ll take them out to play in the sandbox or in the water.”
