Pet dragon taken during carjacking, Georgia woman says. Month later, they’re reunited

A “precious” bearded dragon is back home weeks after his owner was carjacked at gunpoint.

“I don’t say the m word much but this is a ‘miracle’ and unheard of,” Georgia woman Laura Dozier said after being reunited with her pet dragon, Lenny. “My man is back and safe.”

On Facebook, Dozier thanked the public for their support during the nearly monthlong search.

The scaly critter turned up Tuesday, Sept. 12, at The Salvation Army of Augusta, WRDW reported. Officials identified him by distinctive orange spots on his chin and an orange patch on one of his legs.

The sweet homecoming comes 26 days after Lenny was taken during an armed carjacking outside a Dollar General store, according to The Augusta Chronicle. It happened Aug. 17 when Dozier stopped to buy sunscreen.

As she returned to her car, she was rushed by a man with a gun.

“He was demanding money in cash,” Dozier told the newspaper. “It’s 2023, I didn’t have any cash on me. I tried to argue with him and he kept explaining he was very desperate.”

Dozier said the man tried to force her into the car after she offered to get $300 from an ATM, WDRW reported. She hit a panic button on her phone, and the man shoved her aside before speeding off in her car — with Lenny still inside.

Her car was found abandoned the next day, but there was still no sign of her lizard. On Facebook, Dozier said she was “beginning to lose hope for my little guy” and offered a $1,000 reward for his safe return.

Best known for the “beard of spikes” on their chins, bearded dragons are among the most popular pet reptiles, according to National Geographic. They’re generally gentle but will raise their chin, inflate their beard and hiss when threatened.

It’s not clear how Lenny wound up at the thrift store, but Dozier said she’s just happy to have him home.

“Lenny is famous and can’t wait to show his precious face on the news,” she wrote on Facebook.

It’s unclear if authorities have made an arrest in the carjacking.

McClatchy News reached out to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office on Sept. 13 and was awaiting a response.

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