I don't know about you, but it always happens to us. We'll just be minding our own business because, as you know, that's what we do, and someone somewhere - and oftentimes so very unexpectedly, will say something like, "Do you want my bearded dragon?" It happens so much more often than you may realize. (at least, as I said, to us.)
That's not exactly how it happened this time, but it's close. We found out a few years back that you can walk into any PetSmart store and ask if they have anything for adoption. They do sometimes, and when they do, they tell you the issue with the animal, bird, or reptile you're about to find yourself cuddling up to. For Laura, just the other day, she was told by an employee of PetSmart that they did have one reptile for adoption; a bearded dragon. (you don't say!)
We didn't even have to be in the store for it to happen - as if by magic, Laura found herself on the telephone with the manager of the store! A few minutes after she was off the telephone with the PetSmart employee, we found ourselves inside the store itself, with hands wide open, ready to welcome the newest member of our growing family. Laura now owns a little juvenile bearded dragon who had the misfortune of having his tail snapped off (1/2) by another bearded dragon - you're not supposed to keep two together -- unless...well, you know.
So, she took the little guy home, and since she already had a good-sized enclosure with all the trimmings, she only needed an extra bulb, as the one we had was over a year old. You're supposed to change them now and again; they don't usually last more than a year. She named the little guy "Sea Smoke," and he's absolutely adorable...just...well, too adorable, in fact, because now I want one.
We found ourselves inside PetCo today to buy crickets as PetSmart didn't have medium-sized crickets, only large and small. I asked the employee if she had anything for adoption, and she stated she had two snakes and, yes, another bearded dragon, but the baby beardie would have to wait two more weeks before he could be adopted; he has a wee sickness that needs to be cleared up first. I can wait. I thought about adopting the albino snake, but it has a severe issue I didn't want to deal with, and the other snake was a return after 3 years of ownership - and you just don't know what you get when that happens. (been there a few times)
What did I do? Well, of course, I went online and looked up the price(s) for tanks, lids, hides, climbing sticks, heat rocks, and water bowls...doesn't everyone do that? What did I find? Well, right there IN THAT STORE...in front of me, begging to be purchased, was an entire bearded dragon enclosure ON SALE with everything you can possibly need for $99. It wasn't a 10-gallon tank either, friends; it was a 20-gallon tank...for $99!! You really can't say no to that - you can't leave it there at that price. I bought it.
Laura has to bring it in for me. She has decided I don't need to lift stuff; it makes her feel needed. I'm excited about it, too, because it was $149 online but on sale for $118 if you had it delivered, and then you have to pay the driver a tip. After tax and tip, it would be $149 again. I got it for $117 after tax! Woot! Now, all I have to do is wait for the bearded dragon to be healthy enough to come home. He shall be named "Aodhan". You pronounce it "Ay-Dawn." Americans use the spelling Aidan. It means Fiery, bringer of fire, or little fire -- he's a dragon, isn't he? Yeah, he is.
I shall post photos when I get him home and in his new home...his home home.
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