Good news, everyone: The homeless man whose pet rat was stolen has been reunited with his beloved fur baby!
Chris and Lucy are inseparable. The pair are often spotted around Sydney, Australia — while Chris chats with passerby, Lucy snacks on vegetables and naps. But on Apr. 6, Chris left Lucy on a milk crate while he used a nearby restroom. When he returned, Lucy was gone.
A heartbreaking photo of a devastated Chris sitting on the street without Lucy was posted across social media.
“My pet rat Lucy was stolen on Saturday,” his sign read. “Lucy is black and white with a bite of brown.”
In a screenshot of an anonymous Facebook post posted to the subreddit r/trashy, a passerby said they were “genuinely distressed” to see Chris without Lucy.
“Taking a homeless person’s loved pet,” the poster said. “Seriously, what a really low act. Please repost this story in the hope that the power of social media may find someone who knows where Lucy is.”
The screenshot went viral, and made it to the front page of Reddit last week. Other Redditors, some who knew Chris personally, commented their disgust.
Luckily, the local police reunited Chris and Lucy.
According to a Facebook post by the police force, a passing woman thought Lucy had been abandoned and took her home. Lucy was “safely retrieved” on Thursday and returned to her rightful owner.
In a heartwarming video, officers brought Lucy to Chris in a cardboard box. After carefully examining the rat, Chris confirmed that it was his beloved pet.
“Yep, she remembers me,” he said in the video, bringing Lucy to his face for a kiss. “Sorry to put you through all the trouble.”
Lucy showered Chris in tiny rat kisses and perched on his shoulder for photos.
“She’s really lovable,” he said.
Good job, internet.
