This Toddler Is Best Friends With Her Pet Frog: 'They Go On Walks Together'
Meet the young child that is best pals with a frog. They share meals, watch TV, and go for strolls together.
Little Juliana Allon, two, begged her mom, Brandie, 39, for a pet white tree frog from the pet store in Panama City, Fla., after it had been given up by its previous owner.
Her mom eventually caved and purchased the frog for $40 in August 2022. Juliana named her pet George, and the pair are inseparable, doing everything together, including eating breakfast, watching TV and going on walks.
Julianna is too young for nursery, but she has taken George with her to her grandmother’s house to show him off. He perches happily on Juliana’s shoulder as she watches TV and eats breakfast. She also sits him in her stroller and takes him on walks around the house.
Mom-of-three Brandie, a realtor, from Panama City, Fla., said: “Juliana was in love as soon as she saw him.
“He was so fat and squishy-looking, and she wanted to hug him straightaway. “The store let her pick him up and hold him. Then she said: ‘Mommy, please, please, please!’ and I couldn’t say no.
“He just crawls to the top of her shoulder, and they walk around together – he manages to hang on somehow.”
Since the family adopted their newest member, Juliana and George have formed an unbreakable bond. George lives in Juliana’s bedroom – in a cage kitted out with a heat lamp with plenty of water and food.
Brandie, her husband, Nathan, and their three children are accustomed to having animals around the house. They already own a dog and a cat, as well as an array of more exotic pets, including a snake, a bearded dragon and a leopard gecko.
George eats the same diet of worms as their bearded dragon and gecko, so Brandie says it’s no extra effort to look after him. Given George is adopted, the family are unsure where he is from or how old he is, but his species of frog are found in Australia and New Zealand.
Brandie said: “She wakes up and the first thing she says is ‘baby frog’ – she wants to hold him right away.
“Before we leave the house, she always says ‘bye bye baby frog, I’ll be back.’ “She puts him in the baby stroller and walks him around the house. “And when she’s eating breakfast, he sits calmly next to her on the table.
“When white tree frogs feel threatened or stressed, they turn dark brown and make a loud ‘ribip’ noise, but he’s so easy going around Juliana.
“When she picks him up, he turns green and turquoise, which means he’s happy.”
Brandie said that looking after George has also helped to keep Juliana on her best behavior. “If she’s playing in the park and doesn’t want to go home, I remind her we have to look after ‘baby frog,’ and she’ll leave right away,” Brandie said.
But looking after a frog has led to one or two sticky situations.
“He peed on Juliana once before which she didn’t like very much,” Brandie said.
“Frogs can also carry salmonella, so I had to teach Juliana not to kiss him.
“Hugging is fine, but she always runs to the bathroom to wash her hands afterward because she knows the rules. “I encourage my kids by telling them that if they love animals and take care of them responsibly, they can have one, but I never thought we would get a frog.
“Every animal has a different personality, but if you find an old soul like George, I’d definitely recommend getting a pet frog – he’s just a happy little fellow.”
Produced in association with SWNS Talker.
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