Reward being offered for iguana missing from Florida smoke shop
SANFORD, Fla. - Pipe Eyes, a smoke shop in Central Florida is missing their most famous team member- an iguana named Smog.
“The iguanas are a lure that, you know, the whole community love,” said Matthew Bernstein, Smog’s caretaker. “People come in just to see these iguanas.”
But, Smog, a six-foot gentle giant disappeared Thursday.
Bernstein said, “This is not a runaway iguana. This is somebody that came and, deliberately, took this iguana.
According to store employees, Smog, who usually roams freely around the store, was outside getting some fresh air on Thursday, while employees supervised him.
Bernstein said when the employees turned their back for a few minutes to help customers, someone stole Smog.
Bernstein said Smog is not in any of his hiding places, and at 14-years-old, the iguana is too slow to just runoff. However, Bernstein said moments before the iguana disappeared, two people had walked up, took pictures of him and began asking some unsettling questions.
Bernstein said, “Wondering if he was for sale, saying that, you know, he looks like he’d be delicious. I mean it’s sad, but those offers are mostly a monthly occurrence.”
Yet, Smog never disappeared until now and store owners are fearing the worst.
“He’s been our pet for 14 years and he’s part of the store,” said Bernstein.
Store owners are offering $1,000 to whoever can bring Smog home, or if it’s too late, turn whoever is responsible over to police.
Bernstein explained, “That’s our pet. We care about him. That’s our baby.”
They say it will be money well spent if they can see Smog again.