Not every beloved pet is soft and furry. Up in Andergrove near Mackay, a family’s pride and joy is a lace monitor named Snuffy. Yes, a lizard. The kind you might see sunning itself on a gum trunk. Snuffy is family to the Astridges, and when he vanished for a full week their quiet street felt empty. I know that feeling, living out here by the river where creatures drift in and out of view. When a friend goes missing, even a scaly one, the house holds its breath.
Meet Snuffy the lace monitor and his Mackay family
Snuffy is not some aloof backyard visitor. He has lived with the family for six years, and they describe him as dog like. He is curious, he noses around the garden, and he enjoys gentle attention. His owner, David Astridge, holds a reptile licence and cares for more than one lace monitor at home, so the family knows exactly what Snuffy needs to stay safe and content. They speak of him with the same warmth you hear when someone talks about a faithful old cattle dog.
The day a much loved reptile went missing
One day Snuffy was simply gone. No familiar scratch of claws on the deck. No slow blink from the sunny corner of the yard. David put the word out on local social media, asking neighbours to keep an eye out. People shared the post, offered tips, and promised to look under boats and behind sheds. You could feel the community knitting itself together around the search. It was not just about a missing reptile. It was about helping a neighbour who loved his pet and was doing everything he could to bring him home.
Community search and first sightings in Andergrove
A neighbour soon reported a sighting. A big monitor had been seen on a fence along a local street. At first the neighbour assumed it was a wild lizard passing through, as they often do up there. Days ticked by. The family walked and called and looked. Each afternoon ended with the same hollow feeling that pet owners know too well. You replay the last ordinary moments, the last meal, the last lazy stretch on the pavers, and you wonder where those feet carried him and whether he was warm enough at night.
The moment Snuffy found his way home
Then came the small miracle. A knock on the door. A neighbour had spotted a determined face at the fence line. Snuffy was busy trying to dig his way back under the paling fence into his own yard. He had worked it out. Home lay on the other side of that strip of timber and soil. The family rushed out and coaxed him through to safety. Relief rushed in like a tide. After seven days of worry, their giant scaly mate had chosen them all over again.
Quiet recovery and reptile care after a stressful week
Snuffy came back a little stressed, which is not surprising for a creature that relies on warmth and routine. The family settled him, gave him quiet time, and let the garden do its healing work. You could picture him choosing the familiar sun patch and closing his eyes while the breeze rattled the leaves. A week of adventure written in scrapes of dirt on his claws, now giving way to the old habits of home. He had found his way back and that was all that mattered.
Neighbours and kindness in a Queensland community
What stayed with David was not only the relief of the reunion but the way people cared. He expected a few shares and a few polite nods. Instead he watched strangers cheer for a lizard. Kind messages rolled in. Kids learned a little more about a native animal they might have feared yesterday. You could feel hearts soften. A family’s love for a reptile reminded everyone that affection is not limited by fur or whiskers. It is a choice we make, and this community chose compassion.
A simple ending that warms the heart
I think about that a lot out here. We live with creatures that do not fit into tidy boxes. Ticks and mozzies, sure. But also tawny frogmouths on the clothesline, water dragons sunning on the steps, and the slow glide of a goanna that looks you straight in the eye. When we decide that a life has value, we act differently. We flip a light on at night to check the yard. We post an update to a local page. We keep looking when the trail feels cold.
Snuffy’s story is simple, and that is why it warms me. A family loved their unusual pet. A neighbourhood paid attention. A clever old lizard took one more look at the map inside his head and chose home. The fence did not stop him. The week away did not break the bond. In the end, he made it back to the people who never stopped hoping. And that is the kind of story that makes you breathe out and smile.
Sources: Courier Mail, Facebook
