NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Questions continue to pile up in one Norfolk neighborhood after a pet reptile was abandoned in a pile of trash. It scurried across the sidewalk on Granby Street. That’s when community members stepped in.

A co-owner of The Village Mermaid antique shop told 10 On Your Side he found a leopard gecko and its aquarium Wednesday outside his shop among a pile of trash. He thinks it was left in the cold for several days.

“I brought it in and immediately posted on Nextdoor for help,” Tom Kirsch said.

Kirsch was heartbroken that someone could abandon a pet.

“It frustrates you,” Kirsch said. “It frustrates you that someone could do that and just walk away.”

He gave the leopard gecko to a woman nearby who has experience with reptiles.

“Unfortunately it passed away during the night,” Kirsch said.

Kirsch has his theories about where the reptile came from and thinks it may have been outside for up to four days.

“Someone moved out of an apartment last weekend and left a lot of stuff on our curb,” Kirsch said.

10 On Your Side met up with Jeff and Shannon Severts, the owners of Simply Pets in Chesapeake. The couple sells and cares for exotic animals, including leopard geckos.

“It’s an extremely sad situation,” Jeff Severts told 10 On Your Side.

It isn’t the first time the couple has heard of someone moving and abandoning an exotic animal, but usually they take it to a local pet shop or animal control, not leave it outside in winter weather.

“It doesn’t need to happen,” Severts said. “They’re very easy to find homes for.”

Severts told 10 On Your Side that leopard geckos are one of the most popular pet lizards on the market and thrive in hot climates. He believes the cold weather killed the gecko that was left behind.

“Usually in their cage, you want it to be about 80 degrees. Leopard geckos can live up to 20 years if cared for properly,” Severts said.

Abandoning an animal is against the law and is a Class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia. Those caught doing so face fines or time in jail.