Alison Brie Finds 'Dino' Lizard in Yard, Reunites It with Owner

Alison Brie, the actress known for the series Mad Men and Masters of the Universe, found a bearded dragon in her backyard. After tracing the animal's origin, she managed to return it to its owner, who had lost the reptile for two months. The lizard had apparently traveled more than a mile and a half before ending up at Brie's home.

The incident came to light in an interview with Brie's husband, actor Dave Franco, on The Drew Barrymore Show. Franco recounted that he was not at home at the time when Brie called him and said, “There's a dinosaur on our back porch.” Brie initially thought the animal was hungry and tried to feed it lettuce. However, she then realized the lizard was likely someone's pet.

Brie then photographed the lizard and posted it to a neighborhood forum. Not long after, its owner responded. “Someone said, ‘That's my bearded dragon.’ So she returned it to its owner,” Franco said. From the owner, Brie learned that the lizard had been missing for two months and had traveled about 1.5 miles. “It was a real odyssey,” Franco added. The lizard was known to be named Little Boy.

This story is not just a unique celebrity incident. In Indonesia, cases of lost pets are also common, especially for exotic reptiles such as bearded dragons, which are increasingly popular among hobbyists. According to data from Indonesian reptile communities, the number of lost bearded dragons tends to rise along with growing interest in exotic animals. Unfortunately, the return rate for lost animals remains low due to a lack of identification such as microchips or ID tags.

The method Brie used—leveraging a neighborhood forum—could actually serve as a lesson for pet owners in Indonesia. In the digital era, social media groups such as Facebook and WhatsApp are often the first place people look for lost animals. However, without clear markers, such efforts are often futile. Some communities in Indonesia have begun campaigning for microchipping pet reptiles, although the cost is still considered expensive by some hobbyists.

“We always advise owners to give their pets an identifier, at least a recent photo and distinctive features, so they are easy to recognize if lost,” said a member of a Jakarta reptile community.

In the same interview, Franco also revealed another side of his domestic life with Brie. When neither of them is filming, they enjoy Sundays relaxing in bed, watching movies, and eating donuts. “Because we have to be apart so often for work, when we're both in town, we really set aside Sundays to be together,” he said. They can even watch four movies in a day accompanied by their cats.

The story of Brie and Little Boy shows how a small action like posting a photo to a neighborhood forum can bring big results. In Indonesia, with a growing pet population, awareness of the importance of identification and the role of communities is key. Will more pet owners proactively microchip their animals in the future, or at least join communities to improve their chances of finding their beloved pets?