When a bearded dragon named Lady Pancake arrived at the SPCA of Wake County in Raleigh, North Carolina, staff immediately knew something wasn’t right. She’d been transferred from another shelter after being found as a stray — and she was ice cold.
As cold-blooded reptiles, bearded dragons rely on external heat to regulate their body temperature. Without it, they can quickly become weak and lethargic. And Lady Pancake was clearly struggling.
“She wasn’t really moving,” Mady Thielemann, a communications specialist at the SPCA of Wake County, told The Dodo. “She was staying very still, obviously uncomfortable, and cold to the touch.”
While the team rushed to set up a heated enclosure and warming pad, Thielemann improvised a temporary solution. She gently tucked Lady Pancake inside her coat, between her jacket and overalls.
“She immediately slid her little hand into my overall pocket and kind of latched on,” Thielemann said.
Almost instantly, Lady Pancake relaxed. She even tried to climb higher, attempting to burrow into Thielemann’s hair as if she’d found the safest place in the world. Though Thielemann had handled bearded dragons before, she was surprised by just how affectionate this one was.
“A lot of people don’t realize how cuddly reptiles can be,” she said.
Over the following days, staff noticed the same behavior again and again. Whenever someone picked Lady Pancake up, she’d snuggle right into their arms, perfectly content. And by then, she was warm — which made it clear she wasn’t just seeking heat anymore.
“The second you picked her up, she’d tuck herself into your arm and just hang out,” Thielemann said.
Lady Pancake wasn’t just cold — she was craving comfort.
Given her sweet, affectionate nature, the shelter hoped she wouldn’t have to wait long for a home. They were right. Just a few days later, Lady Pancake was adopted by a family who had thoroughly researched bearded dragon care and were ready to welcome her.
Now settled into her forever home, Lady Pancake gets all the warmth and cuddles she could ever want — every single day.
If you’d like to support animals like Lady Pancake, donations to the SPCA of Wake County help make happy endings like this possible.
