Help Save Copper

This is the last thing I ever wanted to do, but it’s one of the only options we have left to give Copper a fighting chance. I also know there are so many good people out there who can help make a difference — even in the smallest ways — and that’s why I’m here.

Copper is our 6-year-old bearded dragon who came to us as a rescue in November 2024. Initially, we were told copper was a boy. Turns out Copper is a little girl!

So, when we took her in, she had been severely neglected. She was living in a tank full of feces, laying in her own waste, underweight, and clearly unwell. With proper care, nutrition, and husbandry, Copper made a complete turnaround. She gained over 125 grams, became strong and active, and truly thrived.

In December, Copper suddenly became swollen and inflamed. After multiple vet visits, X-rays, medications, and bloodwork, we finally received devastating answers. A sonogram confirmed that Copper is actually female and has follicular stasis, with approximately 20 eggs trapped inside her body that she cannot pass on her own.

Without surgery, this condition is fatal.

Reptile surgery is risky, and anesthesia carries about a 50/50 survival rate, but Copper has a better chance because she is otherwise healthy and strong. The estimated cost for surgery, travel, hospitalization, and medications is approximately $3,000, and we simply cannot take this on alone.

The only other option is euthanasia — a decision that feels unbearable for a six-year-old animal who has already survived neglect and finally found safety and love. Surely God did not give me this baby to only give her one year of an incredible life.

If you are able to help — even $1 — it truly makes a difference. If donating isn’t possible, sharing this fundraiser means just as much.

Thank you for reading, caring, and helping us give Copper the chance she deserves. We are definitely still getting used to the "she" part. but if I'm being totally honest, I thought she was a girl when I first saw her...

Also, Mau Mau would be so sad without her best friend.