'Shocked': Kentucky Pet Store Needs Help After Rare Animal Is Stolen

One Kentucky pet store is left searching for a rare animal after someone stole it, reported WYMT.

The pet store, called Most Valuable Pets in Lexington, says that a rare lizard was stolen from the store Saturday night. Melissa Whitton said, "I just couldn't believe that somebody would do that."

Whitton owns the pet store and says that she was shocked after realizing that someone had stolen the lizard named Petey. Whitton explained, "They came straight through the doors, straight over to the cage and took him."

According to Whitton, Petey is a rare type of lizard. "It’s called a monkey-tailed skink. They’re from Madagascar, you cannot collect any of them from out of the wild so all of them have to be bred in captivity, and they are very difficult to breed," said Whitton.

Whitton said that someone stealing Petey was like "kidnapping a child." Whitton said, "If you’re bonded to an animal and that animal is special to you, then that takes away a piece of your heart when someone takes it."

Whitton said that the store isn't looking to press charges, they just want their lizard back. “Petey is so special,” said Whitton. “I love him and I so hope they will bring him back.”