Homeless Man Asks People For Help After His Beloved Pet Rat Gets Stolen
Every day, Alyson who lives in Sydney, Australia sees a homeless man sitting in the same spot. The 59-year-old Chris happily chats to passersby and allows them to play with his adorable pet rat named Lucy. The rat never leaves Chris side and munches on snacks and entertains strangers.
More info: Facebook
Recently, a homeless man named Chris had his beloved pet rat stolen
However, a couple of days ago Alyson noticed that Chris is alone and distressed. She decided to check on him and noticed his sign telling passersby that his beloved pet was stolen from him.
Chris Says that Lucy was probably taken from outside Footlocker on Pitt Street after he briefly left to go to the bathroom. Alyson was completely baffled when she heard the news and called the stealing from a homeless man ‘a low act’.
Many people were appalled too. After Alyson published a Facebook post detailing the incident it quickly went viral and received more than 16k shares in a few days.
While most of the commenters expressed complete disgust in the lack of humanity of the person responsible for stealing the rat, others tried to figure out the way they can help. Many began sharing photos to help others recognize Lucy in hopes that someone will find her safe and sound.
Meanwhile, heartbroken Chris contacted the police. He says that police are checking CCTV in hopes to identify the suspect. However, there is no new information and the saddened man is left in uncertainty if he will ever get his friend back.
Over the years Chris and Lucy have become locally known to passersby in Sydney. He and his little friends would often cheer up and befriend strangers.
After the news of the despicable act came in, people began sharing they fond memories of the pair, hoping that the pet will be eventually discovered.
Here’s how people reacted
63Kviews
Share on FacebookI need an update when the rat is found to mend my broken heart. How could someone do this? Only a truly heartless person could steal a beloved pet. Shame on whoever did this.
Right??!! Please let us know if she's found. I'm way too sensitive for this :-(***
Load More Replies...This just infuriates me! Who the hell has a heart cold enough to do something like this??? I’m really disappointed in humanity right now :(
When I first saw this I cried. He looks so sad!!! That poor man. They didn't take his pet, they took his very best friend. It's cruel to do to anyone, but to a defenseless elderly gentleman who literally has nothing?? I only hope that something wonderful will come of this........ maybe someone can give him a job caring for animals?
https://www.reddit.com/r/wholesomememes/comments/bejlbt/wholesome_homeless_man_is_reunited_with_his_pet/
Load More Replies...That's disgusting. Disgusting, evil and low. I'm so angry. Every day I read about bad things that people do to other people and yet this story moved me. Maybe because there is no friggin sense in this. I mean, most of bad situations I happend to hear about are at least partially reasonable. I don't applaud but I do understand. But why on earth steal *a rat* from person who do not have almost anything? It doesn't make sense. I feel so sorry for this man. I hope somebody will find his pet - sound and healthy.
I pray that Lucy is found and returned safely. What kind of a heartless jerk does that?!?!?
I wonder how old the rat is, considering rats' lifespans are only 12-36 months long. Many animals will go find a place to die alone when it's their time...I wonder if that's the case with his friend. Taking someone's animal seems inconceivable but it happens all the time unfortunately, and if that happened I hope someone finds it and returns it to his owner.
From the photos, she didn't look very old. I would guess at around 1.5-2 years. She looked like she had a tumor in one of the photos, though. It doesn't seem likely that someone would steal a rat - most people are scared of them! - and I suspect she just wandered off to explore. My rat, Lark, has run off many times to look around and I panic every single time.
Load More Replies...I hope he finds Lucy soon. She should be turned in to a local police station, no questions asked. Rats only live three orfour years, I think. I hope she didn't find someplace quiet to pass away. He clearly took good care of the rodent, so hopefully he can find another for a friend. Maybe the attention will help them find a more stable and sturdy living situation.
3-4 years if very old for a rat. It is usually 2-3. One of my girls is nearing 2 and I know I don't have much time left with her. Rats are so good at stealing hearts (just as good at stealing everything else, too. You wouldn't believe some of the things I have found in their nest)
Load More Replies...That's f****d up and sickening. Man is already down and some scum steals his family/friend to leave him alone without companionship. Might as well just murder the guy at that point when gunning so f*****g low
I hope Lucy is found. I met her last year and she was the sweetest little rat, her coat was awfully clean and so soft and smooth. Chris was always very sweet and it hurts to see him and hear that this has happened to him. I hope that heartless human returns him.
Maybe Lucy got a taste for the camera and all that attention...and ran away to seek her fame and fortune. I'm trying to cheer myself up becuz right now tears are stinging my eyes.
=( I hope there is a happy ending for this chap and his super little buddy! i had 6 pet rats in my late teens and they are the BEST little guys
So sad! Who steals a guys ratter friend?! That is messed up! Ratters are awesome animals. I miss having them
This is indeed sad, it's too bad that the rat din't go to the bathroom, this can happen with any pet, there are evil people everywhere ,unfortunately !!!
I can’t believe I’m crying. A lot of people don’t realize how smart and affectionate rats are
I am the kind of person who, when in a resteraunt sees people sitting alone, (especially elderly,) wants to go and give them a hug and sit down with them. Seeing homeless people melts my heart out of sadness, (execpt for the fakers who want money to buy drugs,) so seeing a homeless man in this arcticle already triggered my Ultra Mega Niceasourus Rex, but then seeing that one of the only things he has, one of the only things he loves in this world is taken..? 😢
Ohh poor Lucy!!,i took a pic with her at Martin Place,she was adorable,i hope the poor fellow finds her safe and well. :(
I hope this gentleman has his pet returned soon! The story just stoped, so it would be nice to have an update! It would also be nice to have a better writer!
my computer is heartless. this was the ad to accompany this post... Screenshot...8c-png.jpg
Omg, Bored Panda! How could you post this and then not give us an update? Lucy, the rat, was found. It was all a misunderstanding. No one stole from the homeless guy. A lady thought Lucy had been abandoned, and took her home.
This is so tragic and sad, someone please return his beloved pet, it's all he has! Everybody needs someone to love! They are just so cute and deserve a reunion!
Lucy has been found and reunited with her Daddy. I'm not crying, YOU'RE crying <3
https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/3287/Homeless-Man-Reunited-With-His-Beloved-Pet-Rat She's been returned!!!
This is disgusting that some moron can take a man's pet just for the fun of it, I hope karma hits him/her hard !!
...am confused. Why is everyone saying it got stolen? There doesn't seem to be any indication that's actually the case unless I missed something? Cute as she is, I have a hard time imagining someone stealing a rat... doesn't it seem more likely she simply wandered off? Perhaps something scares her, or attracted her attention, or she was feeling sick or something...I don't know, I do hope she happily reunites with her owner but I don't get why everyone is talking about stealing=x
In full honesty, WHY WOULD SOMEONE STEAL A RAT OFF THE STREET?! I get if it was a dog, but rat? Things get weird more and more everyday.
This breaks my heart. I hope that little Lucy is reunited with her loving owner. The bond between human an animal is just as strong as the bond between family members, or stronger.
Pictures of the lady who stole his pet: https://10daily.com.au/news/crime/a190415fwq/police-allege-this-woman-stole-homeless-mans-beloved-pet-rat-20190415
Well, he can come to an abandoned house near where I live. He would has plenty of rats to choose as a new friend.
UPDATE: We know who took Lucy... they have security cams... this if from Auther and Co pet Concierge on Facebook: To the woman who took the rat Lucy from Pitt St - Please contact us ASAP! We understand you may have thought Lucy was abandoned or needed help. She was and IS very LOVED ❤️ I’m sure you know this by now. We also understand that you might have been trying to do the right thing and now feel you can’t set things right because you might get in trouble. Please just call us and we will meet you somewhere, collect Lucy and return her to her loving owner, Chris.
I Love Lucy,such a sweet looking rat..There was a elderly panhandler man in my area that had his small companion dog stolen,and it was found about 3 wks later in a bad part of town with a homeless drug addicted man in possession of the dog.Happy ending the dog was returned to its owner.
This is absolutely sad and enraging. First, one should never steal a pet (or anything, for that matter) from someone. Second, how heartless can one be to steal the pet of a homeless person? They already have so little.. and now Chris probably has nothing because Lucy might be everything for him... Some people need to learn about love.
The rat had a tumour. They paid to get it removed, but rats only live for 2 - 3 years and if it had a tumour, it would have died soon after from other tumours. I would say that the rat was taken by the vet after dying and he may not have fully understood. :(
If he left the rat while he went to the bathroom, I am going to assume rather than believe heartlessness, that someone new to the area, not having known the situation freaked out at seeing a rat and tried to catch it to dispose of it, as horrible as that is, with the recent 'rat seen in restaurant window' things that have occurred it could just have been a mistake, and now there is no coming back from that. I do hope something good happens, but that part of the city is overrun with people and cars, even if the rat was shooed off it would be very hard to make it back.
I hope this poor guy gets his Pet back. What a sad story, how can anyone be so heartless to a man who has nothing but his pet Rat? Shame on the thief, hope Karma gets him soon.
I need an update when the rat is found to mend my broken heart. How could someone do this? Only a truly heartless person could steal a beloved pet. Shame on whoever did this.
Right??!! Please let us know if she's found. I'm way too sensitive for this :-(***
Load More Replies...This just infuriates me! Who the hell has a heart cold enough to do something like this??? I’m really disappointed in humanity right now :(
When I first saw this I cried. He looks so sad!!! That poor man. They didn't take his pet, they took his very best friend. It's cruel to do to anyone, but to a defenseless elderly gentleman who literally has nothing?? I only hope that something wonderful will come of this........ maybe someone can give him a job caring for animals?
https://www.reddit.com/r/wholesomememes/comments/bejlbt/wholesome_homeless_man_is_reunited_with_his_pet/
Load More Replies...That's disgusting. Disgusting, evil and low. I'm so angry. Every day I read about bad things that people do to other people and yet this story moved me. Maybe because there is no friggin sense in this. I mean, most of bad situations I happend to hear about are at least partially reasonable. I don't applaud but I do understand. But why on earth steal *a rat* from person who do not have almost anything? It doesn't make sense. I feel so sorry for this man. I hope somebody will find his pet - sound and healthy.
I pray that Lucy is found and returned safely. What kind of a heartless jerk does that?!?!?
I wonder how old the rat is, considering rats' lifespans are only 12-36 months long. Many animals will go find a place to die alone when it's their time...I wonder if that's the case with his friend. Taking someone's animal seems inconceivable but it happens all the time unfortunately, and if that happened I hope someone finds it and returns it to his owner.
From the photos, she didn't look very old. I would guess at around 1.5-2 years. She looked like she had a tumor in one of the photos, though. It doesn't seem likely that someone would steal a rat - most people are scared of them! - and I suspect she just wandered off to explore. My rat, Lark, has run off many times to look around and I panic every single time.
Load More Replies...I hope he finds Lucy soon. She should be turned in to a local police station, no questions asked. Rats only live three orfour years, I think. I hope she didn't find someplace quiet to pass away. He clearly took good care of the rodent, so hopefully he can find another for a friend. Maybe the attention will help them find a more stable and sturdy living situation.
3-4 years if very old for a rat. It is usually 2-3. One of my girls is nearing 2 and I know I don't have much time left with her. Rats are so good at stealing hearts (just as good at stealing everything else, too. You wouldn't believe some of the things I have found in their nest)
Load More Replies...That's f****d up and sickening. Man is already down and some scum steals his family/friend to leave him alone without companionship. Might as well just murder the guy at that point when gunning so f*****g low
I hope Lucy is found. I met her last year and she was the sweetest little rat, her coat was awfully clean and so soft and smooth. Chris was always very sweet and it hurts to see him and hear that this has happened to him. I hope that heartless human returns him.
Maybe Lucy got a taste for the camera and all that attention...and ran away to seek her fame and fortune. I'm trying to cheer myself up becuz right now tears are stinging my eyes.
=( I hope there is a happy ending for this chap and his super little buddy! i had 6 pet rats in my late teens and they are the BEST little guys
So sad! Who steals a guys ratter friend?! That is messed up! Ratters are awesome animals. I miss having them
This is indeed sad, it's too bad that the rat din't go to the bathroom, this can happen with any pet, there are evil people everywhere ,unfortunately !!!
I can’t believe I’m crying. A lot of people don’t realize how smart and affectionate rats are
I am the kind of person who, when in a resteraunt sees people sitting alone, (especially elderly,) wants to go and give them a hug and sit down with them. Seeing homeless people melts my heart out of sadness, (execpt for the fakers who want money to buy drugs,) so seeing a homeless man in this arcticle already triggered my Ultra Mega Niceasourus Rex, but then seeing that one of the only things he has, one of the only things he loves in this world is taken..? 😢
Ohh poor Lucy!!,i took a pic with her at Martin Place,she was adorable,i hope the poor fellow finds her safe and well. :(
I hope this gentleman has his pet returned soon! The story just stoped, so it would be nice to have an update! It would also be nice to have a better writer!
my computer is heartless. this was the ad to accompany this post... Screenshot...8c-png.jpg
Omg, Bored Panda! How could you post this and then not give us an update? Lucy, the rat, was found. It was all a misunderstanding. No one stole from the homeless guy. A lady thought Lucy had been abandoned, and took her home.
This is so tragic and sad, someone please return his beloved pet, it's all he has! Everybody needs someone to love! They are just so cute and deserve a reunion!
Lucy has been found and reunited with her Daddy. I'm not crying, YOU'RE crying <3
https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/3287/Homeless-Man-Reunited-With-His-Beloved-Pet-Rat She's been returned!!!
This is disgusting that some moron can take a man's pet just for the fun of it, I hope karma hits him/her hard !!
...am confused. Why is everyone saying it got stolen? There doesn't seem to be any indication that's actually the case unless I missed something? Cute as she is, I have a hard time imagining someone stealing a rat... doesn't it seem more likely she simply wandered off? Perhaps something scares her, or attracted her attention, or she was feeling sick or something...I don't know, I do hope she happily reunites with her owner but I don't get why everyone is talking about stealing=x
In full honesty, WHY WOULD SOMEONE STEAL A RAT OFF THE STREET?! I get if it was a dog, but rat? Things get weird more and more everyday.
This breaks my heart. I hope that little Lucy is reunited with her loving owner. The bond between human an animal is just as strong as the bond between family members, or stronger.
Pictures of the lady who stole his pet: https://10daily.com.au/news/crime/a190415fwq/police-allege-this-woman-stole-homeless-mans-beloved-pet-rat-20190415
Well, he can come to an abandoned house near where I live. He would has plenty of rats to choose as a new friend.
UPDATE: We know who took Lucy... they have security cams... this if from Auther and Co pet Concierge on Facebook: To the woman who took the rat Lucy from Pitt St - Please contact us ASAP! We understand you may have thought Lucy was abandoned or needed help. She was and IS very LOVED ❤️ I’m sure you know this by now. We also understand that you might have been trying to do the right thing and now feel you can’t set things right because you might get in trouble. Please just call us and we will meet you somewhere, collect Lucy and return her to her loving owner, Chris.
I Love Lucy,such a sweet looking rat..There was a elderly panhandler man in my area that had his small companion dog stolen,and it was found about 3 wks later in a bad part of town with a homeless drug addicted man in possession of the dog.Happy ending the dog was returned to its owner.
This is absolutely sad and enraging. First, one should never steal a pet (or anything, for that matter) from someone. Second, how heartless can one be to steal the pet of a homeless person? They already have so little.. and now Chris probably has nothing because Lucy might be everything for him... Some people need to learn about love.
The rat had a tumour. They paid to get it removed, but rats only live for 2 - 3 years and if it had a tumour, it would have died soon after from other tumours. I would say that the rat was taken by the vet after dying and he may not have fully understood. :(
If he left the rat while he went to the bathroom, I am going to assume rather than believe heartlessness, that someone new to the area, not having known the situation freaked out at seeing a rat and tried to catch it to dispose of it, as horrible as that is, with the recent 'rat seen in restaurant window' things that have occurred it could just have been a mistake, and now there is no coming back from that. I do hope something good happens, but that part of the city is overrun with people and cars, even if the rat was shooed off it would be very hard to make it back.
I hope this poor guy gets his Pet back. What a sad story, how can anyone be so heartless to a man who has nothing but his pet Rat? Shame on the thief, hope Karma gets him soon.
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