There’s a cold-blooded creature roaming the halls of the Lehigh County district attorney’s office these days, and we’re not talking about one of the valley’s defense attorneys.
Don Julia, a docile bearded dragon who weighs less than a pound, can usually be found sleeping on a staff member’s shoulder or skittering across District Attorney Gavin Holihan’s desk. She’s such a popular guest that some employees are thinking about adopting their own little lizards.
“I’m going to be devastated when she leaves,” said Gloria Gonzalez, an executive secretary. “I told Gavin we’re going to have to get another one.”
The story of how Don Julia ended up as Holihan’s unlikely foster pet started in a courtroom. Her owner, a 13-year-old girl, was the victim of a crime perpetrated by a family member. The girl testified, the family member went to prison, the girl went to live with another family member who was evicted from his home, and the girl was placed in foster care.
“She was left with the clothes on her back, and her bearded dragon,” Holihan said.
The girl was devastated about having to give up Don Julia, so Holihan agreed to care for the lizard until they could be reunited. He spent more than $200 of his own money to buy a tank with heat lamps, plus some crunchy meal worms and other reptile necessities. Courthouse workers donated other items.
Despite limited knowledge about bearded dragons — Holihan has dogs and cats but no exotic pets — the DA said he felt confident that he could take care of Don Julia.
“I figured that if a 13-year-old girl could do it, I would be OK,” Holihan said.
Losing a pet can be devastating for a child entering foster care, and there are there no organizations dedicated to holding on to those pets until the child can have them back, said Jenae Holtzhafer, executive director of The Kindness Project, an Upper Milford Township agency that provides emergency supplies for foster children.
“It’s an added layer of trauma,” Holtzhafer said. “Often, they are removed from their home so quickly that they don’t get a chance to say goodbye, and they may never see their pets again. “
Child welfare workers are not unsympathetic to the loss of pets, but must first make sure children’s basic needs are met during emergency placements. The Kindness Project served 1,300 children in 2025.
“We are focused on things like clothing, car seats, diapers. We’ve had kids arrive here without any shoes,” Holtzhafer said.
The idea of having to give up a pet can be so devastating for crime victims that some put their own safety at risk to keep their animals. Kimberly Silvestri, the victim witness coordinator at the Lehigh County DA’s office, said she sees it most often with victims of domestic violence.
“It’s something that keeps them in a scary situation, a violent situation, because they’re afraid to leave their pets. They’re worried that the violence will transfer to their pets, that the perpetrator will hurt or even kill their pets if they leave,” Silvestri said.
Native to central Australia, bearded dragons are one of the most popular pet lizards. They are named for one of their natural defense mechanisms — when they feel threatened, bearded dragons can flare out the skin underneath their chin which then darkens in color to resemble a beard.
With a lifespan of eight to 10 years and an omnivorous diet, bearded dragons are considered easy to care for, compared with other reptiles and amphibians. Like all reptiles, they are potential carriers of infectious diseases, including Salmonella. Staffers keep a ready supply of hand sanitizer around the office, Holihan said.
Don Julia’s owner frequently comes to the DA’s office with her caseworker to visit, Holihan said.
The 18-month-old lizard is mostly popular around the office, though a few staffers are a bit squeamish around her. Don Julia can move fast when she wants to, and it’s a little unnerving to hear her claws clacking across a desk or floor as she zips around the office.
She’s never escaped her enclosure, though there was an incident where Holihan returned to his office and found her missing from her tank and thought she was loose. Soon after, he installed a color-coded flag system on his door that lets staff know where Don Julia is and whether she’s accepting visitors.
On long weekends, Holihan takes Don Julia home. After struggling to dismantle and reassemble her tank during her first trip to his house, he bought another tank to keep at home.
Don Julia is not the first animal to spend time in the DA’s office. Ramona, a black Lab who worked in the office as a companion dog to comfort crime victims, retired last week after nine years of service.
Holihan said he doesn’t plan to make a habit out of holding on to crime victims’ pets, but felt Don Julia’s owner deserved a bit of comfort after everything she’d been through.
“It’s a small thing we can do for this child, whose life is filled with terrible things.”