'Check those backpacks': Florida student brings bearded dragon to school to stop it from being 'lonely'
A Florida middle school student didn't want her beloved bearded dragon to be home alone all day while she was at school.
So, to ensure her pet wasn't lonely, she simply brought him to school, Bay District Schools spokeswoman Sharon Michalik said.
The student attends Breakfast Point Academy in Panama City Beach, Florida. She brought her bearded dragon - part of the pogona family of reptiles - to school in her Vera Bradley backpack, according to a post on the Bay District Schools Facebook page.
The district posted about the bearded dragon - named "Jango" - on Monday. Since then, the post has been shared more than 1,300 times. Bay District Schools added, "a backpack . . . is not a good place for a bearded dragon to spend the day."
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In the post, the district said Jango was temporarily housed in a courier box until an adult could return him home.
"Students are not supposed to bring pets to school," Michalik said in a email to USA TODAY. "However, we recognize that she was trying to include her bearded dragon in her school activities because she didn’t want him to feel lonely at home by himself.
"We encourage inclusion and completely understand her intent. No harm, no foul."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Florida school officials find bearded dragon in student's backpack
