IT is a beloved, if highly unusual, pet that a seriously ill girl could no longer care for.

Now her wish to find a new home for Buddy the bearded dragon has been granted thanks to the work of wildlife volunteers.

The girl, known only as Rachael, walked into the Northern Districts Veterinary Hospital in Sydney last week wearing a hospital wristband and carrying a hand-written note with instructions on how to care for her lizard.

The girl is thought to be aged between 17 and 22 and told staff she had travelled from Melbourne for treatment and was in hospital.

"She was a very nice young lady who was obviously quite upset," vet nurse Tanya Bennett said.

"She was verging on tears and was saying she didn't expect to come out of hospital so had taken the day to get her affairs in order."

Included in her notes for care was a touching reminder that Buddy "loves to get tucked under his blankie to sleep" and that he would only drink water after being squirted on the nose with a spray bottle.

The Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service reptile expert Garry Pattinson has since adopted the reptile and wanted the mystery girl to know her wish had been granted.

"We tried hard to find out who she is and where she is because we want her to know the animal will be very well looked after," he said.

"This guy is very sociable, it's obvious he's been very well looked after. He's going to have a very comfortable life."

It is thought the girl was a patient at the Royal North Shore Hospital but a spokeswoman said it was impossible to track her down without more information.

Mr Pattinson said that with four-year-old Buddy's five-star treatment, he could live for 20 years, feeding on crickets and vegetables.

Despite their fearsome name and seemingly spiky "beard", central-bearded dragons are relatively docile and their rubbery spikes are designed to deter predators rather than do any damage.

Do you know who Rachael is? Contact The Daily Telegraph at news@dailytelegraph.com.au

Originally published as Mystery of the dragon woman