23/07/2025
ADOPTED 7/25
Mint Truffle didn't know it, but he was a very big deal. Not just because he had the best name in the whole shelter (though he did), or because of his dashing scales and wise little eyes. No, Mint Truffle was important because, without even knowing it, he became a little girl's biggest inspiration.
When Mint Truffle first arrived at the shelter, his heart was heavy. His person, the one who had fed him and talked to him and made him feel safe, had passed away, and Mint Truffle didn't understand why everything had suddenly changed. One minute he was in a warm, familiar home, and the next he was in a place where the lights hummed and the air smelled like rabbit food and dog shampoo. People were kind and gentle here, but still, he missed what he had known. And maybe, in the quiet moments, Mint Truffle felt a little bit... invisible. After all, he wasn't a fluffy puppy with a wagging tail or a tiny kitten with a squeaky meow. He was just a bearded dragon. Small. Scaly. Different.
Then, last Thursday (important things often happen on Thursdays), something changed.
A group of kids tiptoed into the small animal room, their eyes wide with curiosity and wonder. They were part of Whiskers & Wags Camp, and today's lesson was about the creatures that didn't bark or purr, but who were just as wonderful in their own quiet way. One of the animal care specialists walked over to Mint Truffle's enclosure and gently lifted him out, cradling him like a treasure in his hands. As the specialist spoke about bearded dragons, their calm nature, their funny little head bobs, their love of basking under warm lights, Mint Truffle looked up. And that's when it happened.
He saw her.
One small girl, standing, eyes wide, staring back at him like he was the most magical creature she had ever seen. Her eyes were full of sparkles and questions. She didn't giggle or squirm or look away. She just watched him, like he mattered. Because to her, he did.
Now, Mint Truffle has no idea what happened next, but we do. When that little girl got home, she sat down with her sister and made an entire PowerPoint presentation about bearded dragons. She filled it with facts and pictures and reasons why one day they should adopt one just like him. She became Mint Truffle's biggest fan, and he didn't even know it.
We tell this story for two reasons. First, because we are so proud of the way our shelter teaches kids to love and respect all animals, not just the fluffy ones, but the ones with scales and shells and silent stories, too. That little girl is going to grow up to be an incredible animal advocate, and we can't wait to see the lives she'll touch because of Mint Truffle.
But also, we tell this story for anyone who might be feeling a little like he did: lost, unsure, forgotten. Sometimes, just being yourself is more powerful than you know. Sometimes, you're making someone's day, or changing someone's future, just by existing. Just by being you.
So if you, like that little girl, feel a little spark of excitement when you hear about a gentle, soulful bearded dragon named Mint Truffle, come meet him. We've heard he's very inspiring.