'She is all I have': Homeless man's heartbroken plea for stolen dog
A homeless man has made an impassioned plea to be reunited with his pet dog after she disappeared while he was using a public restroom.
The dog’s owner, Nathan, was at Circular Quay on Sunday with his four-legged companion when she went missing from his bed.
In a heartbreaking Facebook post by Arthur & Co, a pet detective agency, Nathan said he went to the bathroom for two minutes and when he got back his dog, Shaggy, was gone.
When he starting yelling for help, no-one listened. He then found a policeman and explained what had happened, and the officer promised to return - but never did.
“Everyone thought I was crazy,” Nathan told Arthur & Co.
“All I could do was sit on my bed and cry.”
Nathan and Shaggy had been inseparable since he rescued her from a dumpster in December last year.
She had a shopping trolley on top of her and was almost dead, according to the Facebook post.
Nathan took her to a vet, got her on antibiotics and nursed her back to health by putting her needs before his own.
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“I’m very picky about what she eats,” Nathan said, telling Arthur & Co he would go without so his best friend wouldn’t go hungry.
“I saved her but really she saved me.”
A picture being shared on social media shows Nathan’s cardboard sign with a photo of Shaggy; an older, dark brown small-breed dog.
“Please help she is all I have,” the sign reads, offering a reward of $300 for her safe return.
The posts have sparked more than 500 comments and 4300 shares.
Shaggy is not microchipped. Anyone with information is urged to contact Arthur & Co. The business has vowed to assist with vet care and food once Shaggy has been found and returned to Nathan.
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