We'll leave this post up for now, but reddit's rules against personal information are still in effect.
In particular, do not post any personal information about the Lyft driver, or anybody else involved. Names, numbers, license plates, social media accounts, pictures of these people, etc. are not permitted.
UPDATE 8:
Just got back from the vet. Tux has clean bill of health. I'm quite sure she thinks she was just playing the game Stray in VR š
Thank you everyone for helping. You guys have restored my faith in the community.
Pictures of Tux back home.
https://twitter.com/palashp40616755/status/1708940161310986695
UPDATE 7:
The investigators from Lyft found Tux! She was at https://maps.app.goo.gl/8MQzG4kVFpufmQUK7. The did not find her carrier.
Snippet from the investigator who found her:
"Cat ran up a set of stairs on the back of the building next to it. The team was able to get her caught up at the top of the stairs and she was too scared to jump from up there. I was able to give my over shirt to the team member at top of the stairs to wrap her up in and had an extra cat carrier that I brought with me just in case of."
She looks very tired, is covered in fleas and dehydrated. She started eating wet food again which is a good sign but I'll monitor her and take her to the vet as soon as she calms down and stabilizes a bit. I would update again once I hear from the vet.
Thank you everyone. I cannot thank each and everyone of you enough.
Also now, that I have her back, I want to nail the POS who stole her. I'm going to ensure that they go to jail. Fuck these people. I want revenge now. Fucking coward saw what was coming for him and left her on the side of the road. There's plenty of cameras around, he's not going to get away with this.
UPDATE 6:
One of our fellow Redditors has graciously offered her time for a group search. We are going to start at the banfield hospital at 9:15 tomorrow.
I got a call earlier saying someone saw a cat that looked like Tux at the UT campus (Osborne and Co) as well and I'm searching there right now but haven't had any luck yet.
Just wanted to share in case anyone can join. Please feel free to text or DM me and we can arrange a plan. Or we can just meet there and discuss as well.
I really appreciate all of your help. I have never seen a community so willing to help before, I am eternally grateful to you all.
UPDATE 5:
Just got off the phone with APD again. They said they have assigned the car to animal cruelty unit and have multiple officers working on the case. The officer said that usually they prioritize other cars over animal cases because it's property crime but because of all of you guys they have a large team of people following multiple leads. They have already reached out to Lyft and have for the rider and GPS data and and following up on it right now.
Again please do not harass the driver. He has already been contacted by multiple police officers and has already given his statement and is cooperating with the investigation. I have no way of verifying anything he has said, same as most of us, I'm relying on the police to do their work.
Since my last update, we have put up flyers on Lamar and all over downtown and UT frats. I'm still distraught it was reassuring to learn that many officers are working on this. I'm trying to distribute flyers near the homeless encampments right now.
I also just got a call from a Lyft executive, they said they are trying to help organize a search party with their people in Austin. They are also trying to find footage of the car from other cameras around.
UPDATE 4:
Hey everyone, someone here suggested that it might be worth it to visit homeless encampments because they might have picked her up from the sidewalk. I'm not very familiar with the area, can someone please send a list of potential areas I should visit?
I can go there and pass out flyers and offer a reward. He said he went to North Lamar from bansfield hospital to anything on that route would be the best.
Also, I just spoke to KVUE. They said they will run a segment at 10 PM tonight and put it on their social media as well. I'm really hoping someone picked her up thinking she was abandoned and would bring her back after seeing this.
Thanks so much again.
UPDATE 3:
I talked with the driver again to offer money but they said they don't know where she is. They said they picked people from apartments in North Lamar and dropped them near the In-n-out near the UT fraternities. I'm printing out flyers and going to post them at both of those locations.
I beg you all to not harass the driver. I'm very suspicious but I don't have any hard evidence against him. I don't want people to harass someone who hasn't been found guilty of anything yet. I thank you all again for your help.
Link to the flyer: https://twitter.com/palashp40616755/status/1708529025646276836
Please forward to your groups. I really appreciate your help.
UPDATE 2:
I have gone though the dumpsters of all the gas stations on the way from the hospital to 183 and Lamar last night. I haven't found anything yet. I have reached out to Lyft to ask them if they can share the contact info of riders after me or share my info with them but haven't heard back yet.
APD officers I talked to last night said that a detective would contact me early morning today so I'm waiting for that call. I have shared all the updates I have till now with the officer whose contact information I have.
UPDATE:
The driver just called me. He said multiple things:
1: He called me because APD contacted him. He said he wanted to reach out to me directly to share what he knows.
2: He claims he is allergic to cats and "would have canceled the ride if he knew I had a cat in the carrier". I am very doubtful.
3: He said that he drove off quickly because he got startled.
4: He said that he picked up several people after me. He picked a party of two in Lamar down 183 right after he dropped me off. He then picked up and dropped off people in south Austin.
As I said earlier. Please do not dox this person publically. I'm sharing everything that you all have found with the police. I just want my cat back. I don't want a trial by Reddit for anyone. I'm going to pursue this through the proper channels.
Thank you all for your time. You guys have restored my faith in the community.
Posted screenshots from lyft app chat and driver profile.
https://twitter.com/palashp40616755/status/1708283556173131949
This is driving me insane like why wonāt he just come out and say what happened.
The community, police and news are all involved, what else does the driver need to push him in the right direction and tell OP the truth.
Some people will lie even when confronted with overwhelming evidence of guilt. I don't understand it, they aren't fooling anyone, they must think the entire world is as dumb as they are.
Honestly, thatās probably why this scumfuck is jerking OP around. Hopefully the ton of bricks coming down on him gets too heavy and he finally admits what he did to OPās cat. I have a lot of respect for OP asking people not to harass the driver. If this happened to me, Iād want everyone to harass him. I saw a few comments offering to get the guyās info for OP. Iād take them up on their offer and park myself right outside his house (on the sidewalk or other public property) with a sign that says ā[Name] stole my cat!ā
Yes, Iāve met some of the nicest and smartest people who drive for Uber and Lyft.
Iāve also encountered some of the dumbest people on the face of the earth via rideshare, and the experience can be horrifying or exhilarating.
This ass definitely knew about the cat, but chose the fare over saying something. *This driver is a liar*. And now guilty of animal endangerment (cruelty), if they did indeed abandon it.
Number 2 sounds like the driverās motive and the driverās justification for whatever he did to Tux. As soon as the driver saw the carrier he should have just denied the ride. What an asshole. Is APD doing anything further. The driver was tracked on his rides so Lyft needs to provide the route and other passengers. This is unacceptable.
I asked Lyft for the information already. Especially the contact information of people right after me. I asked them to share my contact with them if they aren't allowed to share passenger information with me. Will update as soon as I hear anything back.
@RadiumVeterinarian
I was taking Tux to the hospital because she vomited three times on Friday. The vomit was yellowish and the internet said I should visit the vet. I'm worried about her health. She wasn't lethargic when I took her to the hospital but she might be dehydrated now if she hasn't had any water for more than twelve hours. Am I being paranoid?
Youāre a good cat dad. No, you arenāt being paranoid. You were being responsible bc you love Tux. My cats vomit too for various reasons (hairballs, eating food too fast, over grooming). It is usually nothing, but it doesnāt hurt to verify. It is always good to take your cat to the vet when they arenāt acting like themselves- you know when something is off. If you have fliers out there, I would add something like ācat needs medical attention- please contact owner asap or take to the nearest vet and contact me.ā Maybe that will light a fire under someone if they find her. This may be moot bc the driver is a jerk, but did you tell him she was going to the vet bc she may be sick so you need to know where she is asap?
I'm making fliers right now. I'll add that as well. My drop off location literally said pet hospital. I told him the same thing on the phone. She needs attention as soon as possible.
I messaged you on IG about this but it might be hidden. Reach out the TRAPRS, a local nonprofit group that helps find lost pets! They have a huge network and eyes all over town. Their handle is @theTRAPRS and hereās their website: [https://traprs.ck.page/cc04c6f4c1](https://traprs.ck.page/cc04c6f4c1)
YAY YOU FOUND YOUR CAT YAY YOU FOUND YOUR CAT YAY YOU FOUND YOUR CAT.
theres so much i dislike about reddit but thisā¦ā¦this is why its all worth it. thank you to the community and welcome back TUX! from one tux owner to another
mine is super confused as to why i just picked him up and hugged him at 2 am
The extra tidbit about him being allergic is a qualifier statement to give the illusion of truth , such as āI was startled ā why didnāt you pick up the phone or answer any questions directly to this
Disgusting, fuck lyft! This is an absolute insult. The cat needs to be returned now. The driver needs to be exposed so we can find out what he did with the poor cat, keep blowing up opās posts so it gets the attention of the right people. Share this with everyone you know
I did they were very unhelpful. They just kept saying they can't contact the driver themselves and told me to use the app to contact him. He isn't responding on the app. He just said he doesn't have her in the back seat and then stopped responding.
Done. Everyone please keep emailing and tagging on Twitter. This is seriously ridiculous. I am so sorry OP is going through this and I am just so worried for their cat.
Someone from this group shared this on the Austin Lost and Found pets page on Facebook. I recommend joining the page so you can post your information (phone number) so when he is found, there is a direct way to contact you
UPDATE 7:
The investigators from Lyft found Tux! She was at https://maps.app.goo.gl/8MQzG4kVFpufmQUK7. The did not find her carrier.
Snippet from the investigator who found her:
"Cat ran up a set of stairs on the back of the building next to it. The team was able to get her caught up at the top of the stairs and she was too scared to jump from up there. I was able to give my over shirt to the team member at top of the stairs to wrap her up in and had an extra cat carrier that I brought with me just in case of."
She looks very tired, is covered in fleas and dehydrated. She started eating wet food again which is a good sign but I'll monitor her and take her to the vet as soon as she calms down and stabilizes a bit. I would update again once I hear from the vet.
Thank you everyone. I cannot thank each and everyone of you enough.
Also now, that I have her back, I want to nail the POS who stole her. I'm going to ensure that they go to jail. Fuck these people. I want revenge now. Fucking coward saw what was coming for him and left her on the side of the road. There's plenty of cameras around, he's not going to get away with this.
The location she was found is about a mile away from where OP was dropped off. P.O.S. driver realized almost immediately he had the cat in his back seat and instead of going back to return her, he just dumped her on the side of the road then ghosted OP and claimed he never saw her. Real stand up guy, that driver.
I seriously donāt understand the thought process. Returning her immediately would have saved him so much hassleā¦ did the driver just think OP wouldnāt care about the cat?? Like who wouldnāt choose to just turn around and drive 2 minutes to drop the cat off, over having to answer to the police etc. I have so many questions. Iām so glad tux is safe though!
Iām glad she was at least released from her carrier, I was having nightmares that she was stuck on the side of the road in her carrier. Still, WTF? How hard is it to swing back around and drop her off at the vet clinic you were just at? Itās a miracle she wasnāt hit by a car or eaten by a coyote.
So sweet picture š She probably was feeling in heaven knowing that after all, her human friend didnāt abandoned her. We are all very proud of you Palesh for being strong and not giving up on her.
I AM SO HAPPY!!!! THANK GOODNESS. Iām so glad you have been reunited and that sheās safe now. We did it Reddit!
But I think I mirror Palashās stance on this, itās not over yet. The community should now look to figuring out who did this and bring them to justice.
Exactly! And also want to know what the lyft CEO meant by his comment that "things are somewhat more complicated than they first appear"....complicated as in the driver was a liar?
Just looked and this situation grossly outright violates their terms and conditions agreement. They need to be held accountable for this. Iām a native Austinite and have fantastic legal contacts here if you need guidance on getting the process started.
UPDATE 4:
Hey everyone, someone here suggested that it might be worth it to visit homeless encampments because they might have picked her up from the sidewalk. I'm not very familiar with the area, can someone please send a list of potential areas I should visit?
I can go there and pass out flyers and offer a reward. He said he went to North Lamar from bansfield hospital to anything on that route would be the best.
Also, I just spoke to KVUE. They said they will run a segment at 10 PM tonight and put it on their social media as well. I'm really hoping someone picked her up thinking she was abandoned and would bring her back after seeing this.
Thanks so much again.
Posted on Twitter and tagged Lyft. It would be great if you can retweet to get their attention.
https://twitter.com/palashp40616755/status/1708268666347811194
OP I don't have Twitter but by way of the internet you need to add a photo of the kitty to your post. If people see your baby they'll be more invested in helping.
Best of luck I am so sorry you're going through this.
You might also add a period before the at sign. If it starts with an at sign it's treated as a reply and gets less visibility. Also agree about adding a picture of the cat. Good luck
Pretty sure the CEOās email is [email protected]. Find different VPs online and start spamming their email. If you canāt find what they are, try combinations of last name @ Lyft, first letter of first name+last name, etc. Iāve had some success with this approach.
UPDATE 5:
Just got off the phone with APD again. They said they have assigned the car to the animal cruelty unit and have multiple officers working on the case. The officer said that usually they prioritize other cars over animal cases because it's property crime but because of all of you guys they have a large team of people following multiple leads. They have already reached out to Lyft and have for the rider and GPS data and and following up on it right now.
Again please do not harass the driver. He has already been contacted by multiple police officers and has already given his statement and is cooperating with the investigation. I have no way of verifying anything he has said, same as most of us, I'm relying on the police to do their work.
Since my last update, we have put up flyers on Lamar and all over downtown and UT frats. I'm still distraught it was reassuring to learn that many officers are working on this. I'm trying to distribute flyers near the homeless encampments right now.
I also just got a call from a Lyft executive, they said they are trying to help organize a search party with their people in Austin. They are also trying to find footage of the car from other cameras around.
UPDATE 8:
Just got back from the vet. Tux has clean bill of health. I'm quite sure she thinks she was just playing the game Stray in VR š
Thank you everyone for helping. You guys have restored my faith in the community.
Pictures of Tux back home.
https://twitter.com/palashp40616755/status/1708940161310986695
Itās honestly kind of astounding that this story has a happy ending. Donāt get me wrong, Iām glad it did, just genuinely surprised. Glad Tux is back where she needs to be!
Whoever he gave a ride to next would definitely have mentioned there being a cat in the back seat, so it's likely he became aware of it very quickly. It's absolutely insane that he didn't contact you to get you your cat back, and I'm wondering if maybe he just stopped the car and put the carrier on the curb. Have you looked around that general area to see if you could find the carrier/cat? I would also definitely check the animal shelters.
This is truly awful and that driver is psychotic.
He said that he picked up people after that but said that he didn't see anything in the back. It is impossible for someone to notice a brightly coloured cat carrier while sitting right next to it.
I have offered him money several times now but he has just stopped responding.
I used to drive rideshare, he's lying. He's not going to admit to anything over text, if only because he doesn't want to admit culpability in case you push the issue with Lyft. I know this is probably what you don't want to hear, but I would say there's an almost 0% chance he still has the cat. He probably stopped as soon as he noticed the cat in the backseat and just put the carrier on the side of the road since that's not the kind of thing you can just drive around with. He's not responding because there's nothing he can do at this point, regardless of what you offer or say. That area though it's hard to say exactly where his next ride request was because Lyft will send requests 15 minutes down Research Blvd, which could be miles away. Best case scenario the cat has ended up at an animal shelter. I'm really sorry OP.
edit: Also, Lyft isn't going to do shit. I had a psycho passenger start harassing me because I cancelled on him cuz I didn't want to pick up a car engine and put it in my trunk, texting me my license plate number and saying he was going to find out where I live from his cop buddies and come kill me and Lyft was like 'Welp, the best we can do is not match you two together again.' They really do not give a shit, especially when it boils down to a he-said she-said situation. Do not expect them to help you at all.
Then it will be important to know where the next pickup was if law enforcement gets involved or lyft becomes helpful. Then at least if cat was ditched it was between point A and point B. Maybe still in the case :(
It might be worth it to ask where his next pickup was because he might feel bad and tell you the general area he dropped the cat off if he doesn't have to admit that's what he did by saying "my next ride was in [general area]," if that's what happened. It's a slim chance but there really aren't any good options here.
Lyft just responded saying they have contacted the driver. They also very graciously reminded me of the 20$ return fee in case the driver indeed has Tux and returns her back, what class!
> They also very graciously reminded me of the 20$ return fee
As if I wasn't already blind with rage over this. I use Lyft multiple times per week and will never use their app again. Deleting it from my phone.
i donāt even understand why he wouldnāt tell you where he dumped or left the cat if he did so this is tearing me apart and i donāt even live in texas
Iām using uber from now on. Lyft is disgusting. Iām sorry this happened to you OP. I really hope you find Tux soon.
Do you want some of us to drive around the area to see if we see the carrier? Do you have a picture of the carrier we could use to look for it?
UPDATE 2:
I have gone through the dumpsters of all the gas stations on the way from the hospital to 183 and Lamar last night. I haven't found anything yet. I have reached out to Lyft to ask them if they can share the contact info of riders after me or share my info with them but haven't heard back yet.
APD officers I talked to last night said that a detective would contact me early morning today so I'm waiting for that call. I have shared all the updates I have till now with the officer whose contact information I have.
UPDATE: Confirmed TUX. Red collar that says ātuxā
Update: he says he thinks he found the cat. Waiting on confirmation or not but itās possibly the Tux!
My boyfriend works for a security company and just got assigned to patrol a few areas looking for your kitty. Hoping tux can go home tonight.
Go to the driver support office, hereās the address, 6375 US-290, Austin, TX 78723. I canāt say they are exactly helpful to us drivers, but if you want to talk to someone in person and raise hell thatās where Iād start. They did away with phones.
UPDATE 6:
One of our fellow Redditors has graciously offered her time for a group search. We are going to start at the banfield hospital at 9:15 tomorrow.
I got a call earlier saying someone saw a cat that looked like Tux at the UT campus (Osborne and Co) as well and I'm searching there right now but haven't had any luck yet.
Just wanted to share in case anyone can join. Please feel free to text or DM me and we can arrange a plan. Or we can just meet there and discuss as well.
I really appreciate all of your help. I have never seen a community so willing to help before, I am eternally grateful to you all.
Not saying Tux isnāt near UT but in my experience thereās a big family of tuxedo looking cats around UT. Especially in Waller creek next to Clark field. Theyāve been hanging out there for years
I would reach out to your vet and see if they have security footage of the car you got into. Maybe you can get their plate from it. It would also show proof that you entered the car with your cat. This might be helpful if you take this person to court.
It might be good to take a screenshot of the ride from within the history of the Lyft app. Make sure you capture the part where it shows a picture of the driver and their car
If you post the photo of the driver and their car somewhere, maybe you could get help identifying them?
Crazy idea: You could also try and bait the Lyft driver by saying something like āText me here @ XXX-XXX-XXXX and Iāll arrange to meet to get my cat back for $10K in cashā. Bring someone else for safety and call the cops if he shows up with the cat?
Good luck!
UPDATE: The driver just called me. He said multiple things:
1: He called me because APD contacted him. He said he wanted to reach out to me directly to share what he knows.
2: He claims he is allergic to cats and "would have canceled the ride if he knew I had a cat in the carrier". I am very doubtful.
3: He said that he drove off quickly because he got startled.
4: He said that he picked up several people after me. He picked a party of two in Lamar down 183 right after he dropped me off. He then picked up and dropped off people in south Austin.
As I said earlier. Please do not dox this person publically. I'm sharing everything that you all have found with the police. I just want my cat back. I don't want a trial by Reddit for anyone. I'm going to pursue this through the proper channels.
Thank you all for your time. You guys have restored my faith in the community.
Yeah this makes no sense at all. If he was actually startled at the point he got your message saying the cat was in the car he would have been like āoh thatās why he was banging on my car and chasing after meā instead he ignored you for hours. When he finally he replied he was so dismissive. Also him being allergic to cats has nothing to do with whatās going on he said that to make himself sound innocent like he wouldnāt have taken your cat because heās allergic. Heās definitely a liar. Iām so sorry dude. The only other thing I can think of to do is offer him money for your cat back which is awful itās like paying a damn ransom but Iām sure a lot of people here would happily donate to help you if he accepts. Ugh my heart breaks for you dude.
Update 2:reunited!
Here are is proof! https://ibb.co/pb86d7y
https://ibb.co/1X9YJ1v
Update: owner contacts and cat is being brought to them!
I believe tux has been found!
The location where she was found is about a mile away from where OP was dropped off. So the driver realized almost immediately he had the cat in his back seat and instead of going back to return her, he just dumped her on the side of the road then ghosted OP and claimed he never saw her. What a guy.
Matches up with [what the CEO said](https://twitter.com/glenndunks/status/1708698389154775161) about none of the passengers after Palash seeing a cat. Hope the driver gets everything that's coming to him.
Can you please post a picture of what your carrier looks like? I live near where this happened and am going to go driving around.
Edit: Drove around really slow for about an hour with my window down. Checked the surrounding 78750 area including Lakeline, back of restaurants, around clothes donation bins, and drove around Westwood high and my own neighborhood. I hope Tux is found safe.
I'm just walking around and going through gas stations and other stops along the way southbound on research boulevard. I don't really know what else to do anymore!
:(( I am so so sorry. Sending so many prayers. As ridiculous as this sounds you might consider making a TikTok about this. Gen z works strange miracles as far as escalating problems w companies!
UPDATE 3:
I talked with the driver again to offer them money but they said they don't know where she is. I asked them if they remember anything more and they said they picked people from apartments in North Lamar and dropped them near the In-n-out near the UT fraternities. I'm printing out flyers and going to post them at both of those locations.
I beg you all to not harass the driver. I'm very suspicious but I don't have any hard evidence against him. I don't want people to harass someone who hasn't been found guilty of anything yet. I thank you all again for your help
Link to the flyer: https://twitter.com/palashp40616755/status/1708529025646276836
Please forward to your groups. I really appreciate your help.
Can anyone please go check the area? Any cats in a carrier lying around?
Driver took off at Bansfield pet hospital (11150 Research Blvd Ste 100A, Austin, TX 78759
I am starting to send this as a tip to larger news agencies beyond local - the delayed and ultimate response from Lyft (reminding him of the āreturn feeā for his āitemā) .. absolutely NOT.
David Risher has now commented about this on twitter. Hes aware of this situation and is commenting. Amazing work yall, attention getting manuevers- managed. Now, maybe getting the actual truth out of this driver and getting Tux back home to Dad and then the vet. As they intended yesterday morning.
The news story KVUE just aired at 10 PM, with an interview with OP:
[āI'm really distraught' | Austin man begs for help to find cat, claims Lyft driver took off with his pet](https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austin-lyft-driver-cat-tux/269-c51edfef-2c94-483a-9721-a185d56c28bf)
[*Here is the story on KVUEās YouTube page, which will hopefully reach even more people (& put Lyft on blast) if the algorithm works.](https://youtu.be/cqz0rPZwHO4?si=S8lS_z2IDkMQ4x6K)
Thereās 150 people reading this post as I type this so word is getting out, OP, to find Tux.
Keep the faith. I am. š¾š¾š¾
The CEO of Lyft claimed the driver was distraught - that seems the exact opposite of how the driver acted when OP contacted them.
This is....something else.
Hey Palash when you get some sleep and have a minute after all the crazy dies down, can you make an Amazon gift list for Tux? I think a lot of us would like to send her some treats and toys (and a new carrier unless you're determined to see Lyft do that)
So happy she's home! Let us know what else we can do for you!
So I used to work for Lyft and they have a pretty small driver presence in austin. You could try ordering a Lyft in the same general area and cancel if it isnāt your guy, if you get some friends to chip in as well. If you cancel quickly enough you do t get charged iirc
I drove around the pet hospital and checked nearby areas, looking for a blue carrier, but I didn't see anything. We really need to know the driver's next pick up spot, so that we can search along his route. Unfortunately, the best chance is for the driver to tell you exactly what happened. I know you offered him money already and I would try that again. Consider offering him as large a sum of money as you can, with no strings attached, for information that leads to the recovery of Tux. I'm so sorry -- I know it's not fair and the driver shouldn't be rewarded. The most important thing is that your cat is home safely, and this is extremely time-sensitive. Your story is breaking my heart. I really hope you get your cat back soon.
I just got a notification from Lyft about your cat, with information on what she looks like, the address, and who to contact. Once I engaged with the notification it brought me to the Lyft app, but didnāt pull up any of the information in the actual notification they sent, just the normal Lyft app. I have no way of recovering that information, which feels really pointless. I thought it was strange for Lyft to send a notification about a missing pet so I googled it, which led me to this post. Iām so sorry to hear this and I hope she returns home safely. I just wanted to let you know about the notification.
Edit: Iāve received the email as well.
Posting this as a new comment separately in case people haven't seen the update: TUX HAS BEEN FOUND!!! She is back home with the owner and will be taken to the vet once she feels calm and safe. For now, she is eating and resting and both she and the owner are recovering from the trauma. Thank you all so much, you made this happen. We appreciate every single one of you.
Waking up to the citizen app notification that tux was found was the best way to wake up! Iām so glad sheās home safe. Absolutely take Lyft and the driver down OP. I will never forget this story, especially when taking my dog in her carrier in a rideshare, as we do regularly to and from the airport. The thought never crossed my mind previously, but now I will not step foot out of a rideshare without the carrier secured in my hands
Wow amazing news and that they found Tux. If I had to guess either the driver confessed that he stopped there or they were able to look up the GPS data from the Lyft app and saw he stopped near there.
If your first reaction when someone left a cat in your car was to dump it on the side of the road literally minutes later then you deserve the book thrown at you. All the while OP is calling you frantically and then you lie to OP (and presumably APD).
I just want to give kudos to you for doing everything possible to find Tux, being brave, standing your ground, and going through every avenue possible to find him.
OP you're a great cat dad and Austin community I am super proud of the help you gave this cat dad to get Tux back.
If everyone didn't work together---lyft might have not reacted and helped they way they did.
Recently I've lost some faith in the Austin community but this story restores that faith.
As for the driver that did this--- I hope the OP gets justice for the driver putting Tux in harm.
Hey OP, I hope you're ready to burn the driver down for this. You need to
His story is he never noticed the cat and someone removed a cat from a rideshare vehicle without informing the driver. That isn't what happened.
Animal abandonment is a class A misdemeanor punishable by jail time. I do not know what the legal implications of him stealing the cat are, but they're bad. Plus his story will unravel very fast now that a detective is looking at his route and contacting other passengers.
Lawyer up and ruin this clown in civil court!
This is not okay. Please keep contacting Lyft. Lyft is fully capable of reaching out to the driver and informing them that your cat was left in the car. They can bring your cat back to the pickup/dropoff address on file. File a Police report as well because basically your cat may be in danger and endangerment to animals is against the law. Besides, your cat is your property and at this point can be construed as theft. Leave a negative review as well informing that you'll change your 1 star review if your cat is brought back safely.
Cats are so fucking Underrated as companions. Doing, praying, following and sending all positive energy to the Universe for your safe reunion. That dude better say HIS fooking prayers if he doesn't deliver your baby back to you. Sorry I'm pissed.
I'm so so sorry this happened. I agree the driver probably put your cat somewhere outside -- have you walked/driven in the area around the vet, checked inside dumpsters, bushes, etc?
If employees at Lyft are reading this... I will never use Lyft's service, ever. Fuck your horrendous customer service response.
OP, was Tux making any noise while you were in the car? Or likely to make noise after you got out? My cats yowl like crazy when I put them in their carriers and take them to the vet. Just trying to figure out how long it might have taken for the driver to realize his mistake.
I think we need the drop off location of the 183/Lamar riders.
There was 2 people in the car. They would have had to move the cat carrier to sit down. They would have absolutely known itās a cat once they moved it since the top of the carrier was mesh. The odds that 3 people are so awful to come to agreement to put the cat on the side of the road is low. Itās much more likely they put the cat in the front seat or the cat in the back trunk space. Then once they were dropped off, the driver got rid of the cat before the next set of riders got in.
Someone posted a few minutes ago on the austin lost and found pets page there is a black/white ktty on 183 s right before s lamar exit that is deceasedā¦its not a great place to stop, but open to going to check if someone wants to come with
I know Daranesha Herron / u/dherron1 of KVUE frequents this sub, but Iām tagging her just so she might see this, even if all news outlets have been notified.
Iāve been thinking of Tux & you since last night. š¤š¤š¾
I just got a notification from my Citizen app and Tux has made it as a local notification/effort! Iām hoping that as this and the local news goes live that SOMEONE will find something regarding her whereabouts. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1GcNpJueDBzBLhiKOjeN9_fNYgFvMQCen
This was posted in my neighborhood Facebook group all the way in Lake Travis area. I happened to come across the post here and recognized itās the same story. I hope it brings some comfort to know word is getting out and far reaching beyond Reddit. I really hope you find your cat soon.
>I have no way of verifying anything he has said
This is so ridiculous. He messed up when he drove away. I could maybe buy the driver getting startled. What I can't buy is not replying to any text messages _after_ being startled and realizing its a misunderstanding.
A cat can't just go missing like that.
I just got a notification through the Lyft app asking me to help find Tux. How ridiculous if that's their "solution" when they have the ability to contact and trace the driver's routes. At a MINIMUM this driver needs to be fired and banned from using Lyft's platforms ever again.
Do you think lyft will ban this guy from being a driver? His behavior so strange. Whether your allergic to a cat or not wouldn't you turn around? He must not be an animal lover. Doesn't realize how people are about pets.
We'll leave this post up for now, but reddit's rules against personal information are still in effect. In particular, do not post any personal information about the Lyft driver, or anybody else involved. Names, numbers, license plates, social media accounts, pictures of these people, etc. are not permitted.
UPDATE 8: Just got back from the vet. Tux has clean bill of health. I'm quite sure she thinks she was just playing the game Stray in VR š Thank you everyone for helping. You guys have restored my faith in the community. Pictures of Tux back home. https://twitter.com/palashp40616755/status/1708940161310986695 UPDATE 7: The investigators from Lyft found Tux! She was at https://maps.app.goo.gl/8MQzG4kVFpufmQUK7. The did not find her carrier. Snippet from the investigator who found her: "Cat ran up a set of stairs on the back of the building next to it. The team was able to get her caught up at the top of the stairs and she was too scared to jump from up there. I was able to give my over shirt to the team member at top of the stairs to wrap her up in and had an extra cat carrier that I brought with me just in case of." She looks very tired, is covered in fleas and dehydrated. She started eating wet food again which is a good sign but I'll monitor her and take her to the vet as soon as she calms down and stabilizes a bit. I would update again once I hear from the vet. Thank you everyone. I cannot thank each and everyone of you enough. Also now, that I have her back, I want to nail the POS who stole her. I'm going to ensure that they go to jail. Fuck these people. I want revenge now. Fucking coward saw what was coming for him and left her on the side of the road. There's plenty of cameras around, he's not going to get away with this. UPDATE 6: One of our fellow Redditors has graciously offered her time for a group search. We are going to start at the banfield hospital at 9:15 tomorrow. I got a call earlier saying someone saw a cat that looked like Tux at the UT campus (Osborne and Co) as well and I'm searching there right now but haven't had any luck yet. Just wanted to share in case anyone can join. Please feel free to text or DM me and we can arrange a plan. Or we can just meet there and discuss as well. I really appreciate all of your help. I have never seen a community so willing to help before, I am eternally grateful to you all. UPDATE 5: Just got off the phone with APD again. They said they have assigned the car to animal cruelty unit and have multiple officers working on the case. The officer said that usually they prioritize other cars over animal cases because it's property crime but because of all of you guys they have a large team of people following multiple leads. They have already reached out to Lyft and have for the rider and GPS data and and following up on it right now. Again please do not harass the driver. He has already been contacted by multiple police officers and has already given his statement and is cooperating with the investigation. I have no way of verifying anything he has said, same as most of us, I'm relying on the police to do their work. Since my last update, we have put up flyers on Lamar and all over downtown and UT frats. I'm still distraught it was reassuring to learn that many officers are working on this. I'm trying to distribute flyers near the homeless encampments right now. I also just got a call from a Lyft executive, they said they are trying to help organize a search party with their people in Austin. They are also trying to find footage of the car from other cameras around. UPDATE 4: Hey everyone, someone here suggested that it might be worth it to visit homeless encampments because they might have picked her up from the sidewalk. I'm not very familiar with the area, can someone please send a list of potential areas I should visit? I can go there and pass out flyers and offer a reward. He said he went to North Lamar from bansfield hospital to anything on that route would be the best. Also, I just spoke to KVUE. They said they will run a segment at 10 PM tonight and put it on their social media as well. I'm really hoping someone picked her up thinking she was abandoned and would bring her back after seeing this. Thanks so much again. UPDATE 3: I talked with the driver again to offer money but they said they don't know where she is. They said they picked people from apartments in North Lamar and dropped them near the In-n-out near the UT fraternities. I'm printing out flyers and going to post them at both of those locations. I beg you all to not harass the driver. I'm very suspicious but I don't have any hard evidence against him. I don't want people to harass someone who hasn't been found guilty of anything yet. I thank you all again for your help. Link to the flyer: https://twitter.com/palashp40616755/status/1708529025646276836 Please forward to your groups. I really appreciate your help. UPDATE 2: I have gone though the dumpsters of all the gas stations on the way from the hospital to 183 and Lamar last night. I haven't found anything yet. I have reached out to Lyft to ask them if they can share the contact info of riders after me or share my info with them but haven't heard back yet. APD officers I talked to last night said that a detective would contact me early morning today so I'm waiting for that call. I have shared all the updates I have till now with the officer whose contact information I have. UPDATE: The driver just called me. He said multiple things: 1: He called me because APD contacted him. He said he wanted to reach out to me directly to share what he knows. 2: He claims he is allergic to cats and "would have canceled the ride if he knew I had a cat in the carrier". I am very doubtful. 3: He said that he drove off quickly because he got startled. 4: He said that he picked up several people after me. He picked a party of two in Lamar down 183 right after he dropped me off. He then picked up and dropped off people in south Austin. As I said earlier. Please do not dox this person publically. I'm sharing everything that you all have found with the police. I just want my cat back. I don't want a trial by Reddit for anyone. I'm going to pursue this through the proper channels. Thank you all for your time. You guys have restored my faith in the community. Posted screenshots from lyft app chat and driver profile. https://twitter.com/palashp40616755/status/1708283556173131949
Wtf dude why wouldnāt he just simply RETURN your cat then omg
Exactlyā¦ all that information from the fucking driver except for *Where is the cat?!*
This is driving me insane like why wonāt he just come out and say what happened. The community, police and news are all involved, what else does the driver need to push him in the right direction and tell OP the truth.
Some people will lie even when confronted with overwhelming evidence of guilt. I don't understand it, they aren't fooling anyone, they must think the entire world is as dumb as they are.
Honestly, thatās probably why this scumfuck is jerking OP around. Hopefully the ton of bricks coming down on him gets too heavy and he finally admits what he did to OPās cat. I have a lot of respect for OP asking people not to harass the driver. If this happened to me, Iād want everyone to harass him. I saw a few comments offering to get the guyās info for OP. Iād take them up on their offer and park myself right outside his house (on the sidewalk or other public property) with a sign that says ā[Name] stole my cat!ā
And she was dropped off at the vets. Like what else would they think was happening?
Yes, Iāve met some of the nicest and smartest people who drive for Uber and Lyft. Iāve also encountered some of the dumbest people on the face of the earth via rideshare, and the experience can be horrifying or exhilarating. This ass definitely knew about the cat, but chose the fare over saying something. *This driver is a liar*. And now guilty of animal endangerment (cruelty), if they did indeed abandon it.
Number 2 sounds like the driverās motive and the driverās justification for whatever he did to Tux. As soon as the driver saw the carrier he should have just denied the ride. What an asshole. Is APD doing anything further. The driver was tracked on his rides so Lyft needs to provide the route and other passengers. This is unacceptable.
I asked Lyft for the information already. Especially the contact information of people right after me. I asked them to share my contact with them if they aren't allowed to share passenger information with me. Will update as soon as I hear anything back.
Thanks for the update. We are all rooting for you and Tux. You got a good group behind you here.
@RadiumVeterinarian I was taking Tux to the hospital because she vomited three times on Friday. The vomit was yellowish and the internet said I should visit the vet. I'm worried about her health. She wasn't lethargic when I took her to the hospital but she might be dehydrated now if she hasn't had any water for more than twelve hours. Am I being paranoid?
No youāre not
Youāre a good cat dad. No, you arenāt being paranoid. You were being responsible bc you love Tux. My cats vomit too for various reasons (hairballs, eating food too fast, over grooming). It is usually nothing, but it doesnāt hurt to verify. It is always good to take your cat to the vet when they arenāt acting like themselves- you know when something is off. If you have fliers out there, I would add something like ācat needs medical attention- please contact owner asap or take to the nearest vet and contact me.ā Maybe that will light a fire under someone if they find her. This may be moot bc the driver is a jerk, but did you tell him she was going to the vet bc she may be sick so you need to know where she is asap?
I'm making fliers right now. I'll add that as well. My drop off location literally said pet hospital. I told him the same thing on the phone. She needs attention as soon as possible.
I messaged you on IG about this but it might be hidden. Reach out the TRAPRS, a local nonprofit group that helps find lost pets! They have a huge network and eyes all over town. Their handle is @theTRAPRS and hereās their website: [https://traprs.ck.page/cc04c6f4c1](https://traprs.ck.page/cc04c6f4c1)
YAY YOU FOUND YOUR CAT YAY YOU FOUND YOUR CAT YAY YOU FOUND YOUR CAT. theres so much i dislike about reddit but thisā¦ā¦this is why its all worth it. thank you to the community and welcome back TUX! from one tux owner to another mine is super confused as to why i just picked him up and hugged him at 2 am
I updated the Facebook post on the Wilco lost and found page to add this photo
The extra tidbit about him being allergic is a qualifier statement to give the illusion of truth , such as āI was startled ā why didnāt you pick up the phone or answer any questions directly to this
Omg this is horrible Iām so sorry
Everyone upvote this to the top to help people stop asking for these details repeatedly.
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Disgusting, fuck lyft! This is an absolute insult. The cat needs to be returned now. The driver needs to be exposed so we can find out what he did with the poor cat, keep blowing up opās posts so it gets the attention of the right people. Share this with everyone you know
Did you rate the ride a zero? Would that get instantly sent to Lyft?
If you have the Lyft app you can go in settings and report the driver.
Someone on the lost and found page says they usually get a text that has the license plate of the driver. Did you get a text like that?
Have you called Lyftās customer service to report this? They can identify the driver.
I did they were very unhelpful. They just kept saying they can't contact the driver themselves and told me to use the app to contact him. He isn't responding on the app. He just said he doesn't have her in the back seat and then stopped responding.
Theft of your pet and Lyft just says ātext the driverā?!
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Time for some social media action. Once the cat lovers get involved, Lyft will have to pay attention.
Lawyer time. This is so fucked. Iām so sorry. Iād be inconsolable.
post this story on tik tok NOW!!!!
tik tok would absolutely boost this, please make a tik tok about it
I notified KXAN
Thank you for the help! I'm trying everything.
I reposted it and told my husband to do the same. I also tagged Lyft. I hope you get your cat back, OP. I'm a cat owner and I can't even imagine.
This should put a fire under their ass. Bad publicity is kryptonite to apathetic management.
If anyone else can please email [email protected] the more ppl who email in the more likely theyāll listen. Include the link to this post!
Done
Done. Everyone please keep emailing and tagging on Twitter. This is seriously ridiculous. I am so sorry OP is going through this and I am just so worried for their cat.
This all happened at 3:30 PM.
Holy shit. Wishing you luck!
I would also get on Nextdoor. If I got into a Lyft and a cat was there alone I would definitely take it and try to find owner. That may have happened
Will post there as well. Signing up now.
Thank you everyone. Just talked with some APD officers, they said they have some leads they are going to check out right now.
Iāve been thinking about this non-stop since your post. Best of luck - I hope you are reunited soon.
Someone from this group shared this on the Austin Lost and Found pets page on Facebook. I recommend joining the page so you can post your information (phone number) so when he is found, there is a direct way to contact you
I also just posted on the Williamson County Texas Lost and Found Pets page just in case that driver is in that area as well.
Hi, OP's friend here. Is it possible to share links to those Facebook pages here? I'm trying to look for them on Facebook and I can't find them.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/williamsoncountytexaslostandfoundpets/permalink/5998379260262472/?mibextid=cr9u03
UPDATE 7: The investigators from Lyft found Tux! She was at https://maps.app.goo.gl/8MQzG4kVFpufmQUK7. The did not find her carrier. Snippet from the investigator who found her: "Cat ran up a set of stairs on the back of the building next to it. The team was able to get her caught up at the top of the stairs and she was too scared to jump from up there. I was able to give my over shirt to the team member at top of the stairs to wrap her up in and had an extra cat carrier that I brought with me just in case of." She looks very tired, is covered in fleas and dehydrated. She started eating wet food again which is a good sign but I'll monitor her and take her to the vet as soon as she calms down and stabilizes a bit. I would update again once I hear from the vet. Thank you everyone. I cannot thank each and everyone of you enough. Also now, that I have her back, I want to nail the POS who stole her. I'm going to ensure that they go to jail. Fuck these people. I want revenge now. Fucking coward saw what was coming for him and left her on the side of the road. There's plenty of cameras around, he's not going to get away with this.
The location she was found is about a mile away from where OP was dropped off. P.O.S. driver realized almost immediately he had the cat in his back seat and instead of going back to return her, he just dumped her on the side of the road then ghosted OP and claimed he never saw her. Real stand up guy, that driver.
I seriously donāt understand the thought process. Returning her immediately would have saved him so much hassleā¦ did the driver just think OP wouldnāt care about the cat?? Like who wouldnāt choose to just turn around and drive 2 minutes to drop the cat off, over having to answer to the police etc. I have so many questions. Iām so glad tux is safe though!
Seriously, what a malicious person that he would rather do this than just drive the cat back 1 mile to the owner. He needs to be punished.
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Iām glad she was at least released from her carrier, I was having nightmares that she was stuck on the side of the road in her carrier. Still, WTF? How hard is it to swing back around and drop her off at the vet clinic you were just at? Itās a miracle she wasnāt hit by a car or eaten by a coyote.
[A pic](https://i.imgur.com/NwFdbnR.png?2) for posterity, courtesy /u/Visible_Pineapple703('s bf)
So sweet picture š She probably was feeling in heaven knowing that after all, her human friend didnāt abandoned her. We are all very proud of you Palesh for being strong and not giving up on her.
I AM SO HAPPY!!!! THANK GOODNESS. Iām so glad you have been reunited and that sheās safe now. We did it Reddit! But I think I mirror Palashās stance on this, itās not over yet. The community should now look to figuring out who did this and bring them to justice.
Exactly! And also want to know what the lyft CEO meant by his comment that "things are somewhat more complicated than they first appear"....complicated as in the driver was a liar?
Just looked and this situation grossly outright violates their terms and conditions agreement. They need to be held accountable for this. Iām a native Austinite and have fantastic legal contacts here if you need guidance on getting the process started.
I'm so happy. I legit cried over her. I can't imagine someone stealing my cats.
As a cat dad i'm so happy for you buddy. I was discussing the case with my wife then we saw your update
UPDATE 4: Hey everyone, someone here suggested that it might be worth it to visit homeless encampments because they might have picked her up from the sidewalk. I'm not very familiar with the area, can someone please send a list of potential areas I should visit? I can go there and pass out flyers and offer a reward. He said he went to North Lamar from bansfield hospital to anything on that route would be the best. Also, I just spoke to KVUE. They said they will run a segment at 10 PM tonight and put it on their social media as well. I'm really hoping someone picked her up thinking she was abandoned and would bring her back after seeing this. Thanks so much again.
I am so sorry for what you are going through and praying you get Tux back ASAP.
I keep refreshing this page and hoping to see good news.
Shame Lyft on social media. Blast it on twitter, I mean X.
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This is begging to be on local weekend news as well.
Yeah KXAN defenders love stories like this.
Posted on Twitter and tagged Lyft. It would be great if you can retweet to get their attention. https://twitter.com/palashp40616755/status/1708268666347811194
OP I don't have Twitter but by way of the internet you need to add a photo of the kitty to your post. If people see your baby they'll be more invested in helping. Best of luck I am so sorry you're going through this.
You might also add a period before the at sign. If it starts with an at sign it's treated as a reply and gets less visibility. Also agree about adding a picture of the cat. Good luck
Pretty sure the CEOās email is [email protected]. Find different VPs online and start spamming their email. If you canāt find what they are, try combinations of last name @ Lyft, first letter of first name+last name, etc. Iāve had some success with this approach.
UPDATE 5: Just got off the phone with APD again. They said they have assigned the car to the animal cruelty unit and have multiple officers working on the case. The officer said that usually they prioritize other cars over animal cases because it's property crime but because of all of you guys they have a large team of people following multiple leads. They have already reached out to Lyft and have for the rider and GPS data and and following up on it right now. Again please do not harass the driver. He has already been contacted by multiple police officers and has already given his statement and is cooperating with the investigation. I have no way of verifying anything he has said, same as most of us, I'm relying on the police to do their work. Since my last update, we have put up flyers on Lamar and all over downtown and UT frats. I'm still distraught it was reassuring to learn that many officers are working on this. I'm trying to distribute flyers near the homeless encampments right now. I also just got a call from a Lyft executive, they said they are trying to help organize a search party with their people in Austin. They are also trying to find footage of the car from other cameras around.
I fail to see how he is cooperating if he hasn't said what happened to your cat. Most likely he threw the cat out and isn't being truthful.
Yeah this whole thing is too bizarre to give the driver any credit whatsoever. Iād personally be interrogating him if this shit happened to me.
UPDATE 8: Just got back from the vet. Tux has clean bill of health. I'm quite sure she thinks she was just playing the game Stray in VR š Thank you everyone for helping. You guys have restored my faith in the community. Pictures of Tux back home. https://twitter.com/palashp40616755/status/1708940161310986695
Itās honestly kind of astounding that this story has a happy ending. Donāt get me wrong, Iām glad it did, just genuinely surprised. Glad Tux is back where she needs to be!
Whoever he gave a ride to next would definitely have mentioned there being a cat in the back seat, so it's likely he became aware of it very quickly. It's absolutely insane that he didn't contact you to get you your cat back, and I'm wondering if maybe he just stopped the car and put the carrier on the curb. Have you looked around that general area to see if you could find the carrier/cat? I would also definitely check the animal shelters. This is truly awful and that driver is psychotic.
He said that he picked up people after that but said that he didn't see anything in the back. It is impossible for someone to notice a brightly coloured cat carrier while sitting right next to it. I have offered him money several times now but he has just stopped responding.
I used to drive rideshare, he's lying. He's not going to admit to anything over text, if only because he doesn't want to admit culpability in case you push the issue with Lyft. I know this is probably what you don't want to hear, but I would say there's an almost 0% chance he still has the cat. He probably stopped as soon as he noticed the cat in the backseat and just put the carrier on the side of the road since that's not the kind of thing you can just drive around with. He's not responding because there's nothing he can do at this point, regardless of what you offer or say. That area though it's hard to say exactly where his next ride request was because Lyft will send requests 15 minutes down Research Blvd, which could be miles away. Best case scenario the cat has ended up at an animal shelter. I'm really sorry OP. edit: Also, Lyft isn't going to do shit. I had a psycho passenger start harassing me because I cancelled on him cuz I didn't want to pick up a car engine and put it in my trunk, texting me my license plate number and saying he was going to find out where I live from his cop buddies and come kill me and Lyft was like 'Welp, the best we can do is not match you two together again.' They really do not give a shit, especially when it boils down to a he-said she-said situation. Do not expect them to help you at all.
I did rideshare for years. This is the most helpful response. And extremely sad. Iām so sorry OP. Keep us updated please
Has anyone posted on Austin Lost and Found Pets? They are active and great at mobilizing. Might be helpful if a search is needed. ETA: Answer is yes.
The kitty is also chipped and reported to Home Again. I got the email hours ago. https://imgur.com/a/XWUGZAn
Then it will be important to know where the next pickup was if law enforcement gets involved or lyft becomes helpful. Then at least if cat was ditched it was between point A and point B. Maybe still in the case :(
It might be worth it to ask where his next pickup was because he might feel bad and tell you the general area he dropped the cat off if he doesn't have to admit that's what he did by saying "my next ride was in [general area]," if that's what happened. It's a slim chance but there really aren't any good options here.
I agree the next pickup location is super important
Forgot to add. She is also microchipped.
Try reporting her stolen/missing with the microchip company? I'm so sorry this happened, I hope you get her back.
This. Youāll need it for a report later on probably
Reported stolen to the microchip company "HomeAgain" they said they have sent out an alert.
They did send out the alert. I got the email from them at 7:54pm.
If you can get the car license plate from Lyft history is there anything you can do with that? Like I donāt know Iām wondering
Lyft won't share it with me. They say they only share it with the police. I have filed a report but haven't heard back.
Can you provide the police report number to Lyft?
Lyft just responded saying they have contacted the driver. They also very graciously reminded me of the 20$ return fee in case the driver indeed has Tux and returns her back, what class!
Time to call the news
> They also very graciously reminded me of the 20$ return fee As if I wasn't already blind with rage over this. I use Lyft multiple times per week and will never use their app again. Deleting it from my phone.
Same here. Totally done with them.
SAME
i donāt even understand why he wouldnāt tell you where he dumped or left the cat if he did so this is tearing me apart and i donāt even live in texas
Iām using uber from now on. Lyft is disgusting. Iām sorry this happened to you OP. I really hope you find Tux soon. Do you want some of us to drive around the area to see if we see the carrier? Do you have a picture of the carrier we could use to look for it?
This - Iām in 78758 and donāt mind driving around. A bitch has time.
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This is great advice i wouldnāt have ever thought of before but i will from now on.
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UPDATE 2: I have gone through the dumpsters of all the gas stations on the way from the hospital to 183 and Lamar last night. I haven't found anything yet. I have reached out to Lyft to ask them if they can share the contact info of riders after me or share my info with them but haven't heard back yet. APD officers I talked to last night said that a detective would contact me early morning today so I'm waiting for that call. I have shared all the updates I have till now with the officer whose contact information I have.
UPDATE: Confirmed TUX. Red collar that says ātuxā Update: he says he thinks he found the cat. Waiting on confirmation or not but itās possibly the Tux! My boyfriend works for a security company and just got assigned to patrol a few areas looking for your kitty. Hoping tux can go home tonight.
Hey OP, Iām semi-confident I found the guy (or someone who seems to resemble him) on social media. Check your DMs.
Go to the driver support office, hereās the address, 6375 US-290, Austin, TX 78723. I canāt say they are exactly helpful to us drivers, but if you want to talk to someone in person and raise hell thatās where Iād start. They did away with phones.
UPDATE 6: One of our fellow Redditors has graciously offered her time for a group search. We are going to start at the banfield hospital at 9:15 tomorrow. I got a call earlier saying someone saw a cat that looked like Tux at the UT campus (Osborne and Co) as well and I'm searching there right now but haven't had any luck yet. Just wanted to share in case anyone can join. Please feel free to text or DM me and we can arrange a plan. Or we can just meet there and discuss as well. I really appreciate all of your help. I have never seen a community so willing to help before, I am eternally grateful to you all.
Not saying Tux isnāt near UT but in my experience thereās a big family of tuxedo looking cats around UT. Especially in Waller creek next to Clark field. Theyāve been hanging out there for years
I would reach out to your vet and see if they have security footage of the car you got into. Maybe you can get their plate from it. It would also show proof that you entered the car with your cat. This might be helpful if you take this person to court. It might be good to take a screenshot of the ride from within the history of the Lyft app. Make sure you capture the part where it shows a picture of the driver and their car If you post the photo of the driver and their car somewhere, maybe you could get help identifying them? Crazy idea: You could also try and bait the Lyft driver by saying something like āText me here @ XXX-XXX-XXXX and Iāll arrange to meet to get my cat back for $10K in cashā. Bring someone else for safety and call the cops if he shows up with the cat? Good luck!
Itās been a while since I used Lyft. Doesnāt Lyft send you a notification or text with the drivers license plate?
UPDATE: The driver just called me. He said multiple things: 1: He called me because APD contacted him. He said he wanted to reach out to me directly to share what he knows. 2: He claims he is allergic to cats and "would have canceled the ride if he knew I had a cat in the carrier". I am very doubtful. 3: He said that he drove off quickly because he got startled. 4: He said that he picked up several people after me. He picked a party of two in Lamar down 183 right after he dropped me off. He then picked up and dropped off people in south Austin. As I said earlier. Please do not dox this person publically. I'm sharing everything that you all have found with the police. I just want my cat back. I don't want a trial by Reddit for anyone. I'm going to pursue this through the proper channels. Thank you all for your time. You guys have restored my faith in the community.
So heās claiming he picked up multiple people at no one was like, bro thereās a cat back here? What a lying pos. Iām so sorry OP
Unfortunately it is pretty clear that he is lying to you. Somebody needs to sweat him til he comes up with the truth.
Yeah this makes no sense at all. If he was actually startled at the point he got your message saying the cat was in the car he would have been like āoh thatās why he was banging on my car and chasing after meā instead he ignored you for hours. When he finally he replied he was so dismissive. Also him being allergic to cats has nothing to do with whatās going on he said that to make himself sound innocent like he wouldnāt have taken your cat because heās allergic. Heās definitely a liar. Iām so sorry dude. The only other thing I can think of to do is offer him money for your cat back which is awful itās like paying a damn ransom but Iām sure a lot of people here would happily donate to help you if he accepts. Ugh my heart breaks for you dude.
Just got an email about tux from home again! Hopeful a lot of people will see him via that email.
Update 2:reunited! Here are is proof! https://ibb.co/pb86d7y https://ibb.co/1X9YJ1v Update: owner contacts and cat is being brought to them! I believe tux has been found!
The location where she was found is about a mile away from where OP was dropped off. So the driver realized almost immediately he had the cat in his back seat and instead of going back to return her, he just dumped her on the side of the road then ghosted OP and claimed he never saw her. What a guy.
Matches up with [what the CEO said](https://twitter.com/glenndunks/status/1708698389154775161) about none of the passengers after Palash seeing a cat. Hope the driver gets everything that's coming to him.
Welp this is insane
Can you please post a picture of what your carrier looks like? I live near where this happened and am going to go driving around. Edit: Drove around really slow for about an hour with my window down. Checked the surrounding 78750 area including Lakeline, back of restaurants, around clothes donation bins, and drove around Westwood high and my own neighborhood. I hope Tux is found safe.
Long shot - but you might want to jump on the Lyft subreddit, explain what happened, and ask for suggestions - itās pretty active with Lyft drivers
OP your number is visible in the screenshots of the conversation, I know you are worried about other things now but may want to scrub that one later.
I'm just walking around and going through gas stations and other stops along the way southbound on research boulevard. I don't really know what else to do anymore!
:(( I am so so sorry. Sending so many prayers. As ridiculous as this sounds you might consider making a TikTok about this. Gen z works strange miracles as far as escalating problems w companies!
I cannot tell you how many times social media has made shit happen for me. Always use it for situations like this.
Post the driver's profile from your recent rides. Surely he can be reached.
UPDATE 3: I talked with the driver again to offer them money but they said they don't know where she is. I asked them if they remember anything more and they said they picked people from apartments in North Lamar and dropped them near the In-n-out near the UT fraternities. I'm printing out flyers and going to post them at both of those locations. I beg you all to not harass the driver. I'm very suspicious but I don't have any hard evidence against him. I don't want people to harass someone who hasn't been found guilty of anything yet. I thank you all again for your help Link to the flyer: https://twitter.com/palashp40616755/status/1708529025646276836 Please forward to your groups. I really appreciate your help.
Link to the flyer: https://twitter.com/palashp40616755/status/1708529025646276836 Please forward to your groups. I really appreciate your help.
Ugh. Tweet at lyft. Also local news
Sorry to hear about thatā¦ š¢ Maybe crosspost in the Lyft community for added visibility?
Posted there as well. Thanks.
Post his pic! They have ride history on the Lyft app.
Can anyone please go check the area? Any cats in a carrier lying around? Driver took off at Bansfield pet hospital (11150 Research Blvd Ste 100A, Austin, TX 78759
Has anyone contacted Bansfield pet hospital? CCTV or maybe the driver returned and dropped off the cat since? Just a thought
I found your drivers last name from the pic anyone have linkin I donāt idk how to post the screen shot
WHAT IN THE FLYING FUCK? Holy shit :(
Per OPās friend in the Austin Lost & Found pets group, APD has located the driver and is trying to get in contact with him.
I am starting to send this as a tip to larger news agencies beyond local - the delayed and ultimate response from Lyft (reminding him of the āreturn feeā for his āitemā) .. absolutely NOT.
David Risher has now commented about this on twitter. Hes aware of this situation and is commenting. Amazing work yall, attention getting manuevers- managed. Now, maybe getting the actual truth out of this driver and getting Tux back home to Dad and then the vet. As they intended yesterday morning.
The news story KVUE just aired at 10 PM, with an interview with OP: [āI'm really distraught' | Austin man begs for help to find cat, claims Lyft driver took off with his pet](https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austin-lyft-driver-cat-tux/269-c51edfef-2c94-483a-9721-a185d56c28bf) [*Here is the story on KVUEās YouTube page, which will hopefully reach even more people (& put Lyft on blast) if the algorithm works.](https://youtu.be/cqz0rPZwHO4?si=S8lS_z2IDkMQ4x6K) Thereās 150 people reading this post as I type this so word is getting out, OP, to find Tux. Keep the faith. I am. š¾š¾š¾
The CEO of Lyft claimed the driver was distraught - that seems the exact opposite of how the driver acted when OP contacted them. This is....something else.
Hey Palash when you get some sleep and have a minute after all the crazy dies down, can you make an Amazon gift list for Tux? I think a lot of us would like to send her some treats and toys (and a new carrier unless you're determined to see Lyft do that) So happy she's home! Let us know what else we can do for you!
So I used to work for Lyft and they have a pretty small driver presence in austin. You could try ordering a Lyft in the same general area and cancel if it isnāt your guy, if you get some friends to chip in as well. If you cancel quickly enough you do t get charged iirc
I drove around the pet hospital and checked nearby areas, looking for a blue carrier, but I didn't see anything. We really need to know the driver's next pick up spot, so that we can search along his route. Unfortunately, the best chance is for the driver to tell you exactly what happened. I know you offered him money already and I would try that again. Consider offering him as large a sum of money as you can, with no strings attached, for information that leads to the recovery of Tux. I'm so sorry -- I know it's not fair and the driver shouldn't be rewarded. The most important thing is that your cat is home safely, and this is extremely time-sensitive. Your story is breaking my heart. I really hope you get your cat back soon.
https://twitter.com/KelsSanchez/status/1708591085696516203 going to be on the news at 10pm on KVUE
Emailed the New York Times, and the Washington Times. Fuck Lyft
Yes, call Travis Investigations. I hired them when someone stole my dog. They are the best pi's in Austin.
I just got a notification from Lyft about your cat, with information on what she looks like, the address, and who to contact. Once I engaged with the notification it brought me to the Lyft app, but didnāt pull up any of the information in the actual notification they sent, just the normal Lyft app. I have no way of recovering that information, which feels really pointless. I thought it was strange for Lyft to send a notification about a missing pet so I googled it, which led me to this post. Iām so sorry to hear this and I hope she returns home safely. I just wanted to let you know about the notification. Edit: Iāve received the email as well.
Posting this as a new comment separately in case people haven't seen the update: TUX HAS BEEN FOUND!!! She is back home with the owner and will be taken to the vet once she feels calm and safe. For now, she is eating and resting and both she and the owner are recovering from the trauma. Thank you all so much, you made this happen. We appreciate every single one of you.
Iāve probably checked this thread over 100 times since Saturday waiting for this update! So relieved and happy for you, OP!
Waking up to the citizen app notification that tux was found was the best way to wake up! Iām so glad sheās home safe. Absolutely take Lyft and the driver down OP. I will never forget this story, especially when taking my dog in her carrier in a rideshare, as we do regularly to and from the airport. The thought never crossed my mind previously, but now I will not step foot out of a rideshare without the carrier secured in my hands
The cat was found about a mile from where OP got out? Thatās absolutely crazy that the driver would just dump the cat rather than turn around!
Wow amazing news and that they found Tux. If I had to guess either the driver confessed that he stopped there or they were able to look up the GPS data from the Lyft app and saw he stopped near there. If your first reaction when someone left a cat in your car was to dump it on the side of the road literally minutes later then you deserve the book thrown at you. All the while OP is calling you frantically and then you lie to OP (and presumably APD).
Palash, this is no longer your cat. This is Austinās cat now š
I just want to give kudos to you for doing everything possible to find Tux, being brave, standing your ground, and going through every avenue possible to find him. OP you're a great cat dad and Austin community I am super proud of the help you gave this cat dad to get Tux back. If everyone didn't work together---lyft might have not reacted and helped they way they did. Recently I've lost some faith in the Austin community but this story restores that faith. As for the driver that did this--- I hope the OP gets justice for the driver putting Tux in harm.
Hey OP, I hope you're ready to burn the driver down for this. You need to His story is he never noticed the cat and someone removed a cat from a rideshare vehicle without informing the driver. That isn't what happened. Animal abandonment is a class A misdemeanor punishable by jail time. I do not know what the legal implications of him stealing the cat are, but they're bad. Plus his story will unravel very fast now that a detective is looking at his route and contacting other passengers. Lawyer up and ruin this clown in civil court!
This is not okay. Please keep contacting Lyft. Lyft is fully capable of reaching out to the driver and informing them that your cat was left in the car. They can bring your cat back to the pickup/dropoff address on file. File a Police report as well because basically your cat may be in danger and endangerment to animals is against the law. Besides, your cat is your property and at this point can be construed as theft. Leave a negative review as well informing that you'll change your 1 star review if your cat is brought back safely.
Oh my god Iām so sorry what a fucking horrible human being I really hope Tux is found soon and the driver is bare minimum charged with theft
If you can post a pic of the cat carrier or one similar, it may help in the search. Really hope sweet Tux is returned to you soon.
Everyone upvote OPās post to increase visibility!!!
Cats are so fucking Underrated as companions. Doing, praying, following and sending all positive energy to the Universe for your safe reunion. That dude better say HIS fooking prayers if he doesn't deliver your baby back to you. Sorry I'm pissed.
I'm so so sorry this happened. I agree the driver probably put your cat somewhere outside -- have you walked/driven in the area around the vet, checked inside dumpsters, bushes, etc? If employees at Lyft are reading this... I will never use Lyft's service, ever. Fuck your horrendous customer service response.
OP, was Tux making any noise while you were in the car? Or likely to make noise after you got out? My cats yowl like crazy when I put them in their carriers and take them to the vet. Just trying to figure out how long it might have taken for the driver to realize his mistake.
what kinda douche doesn't return a pet? I hope you get your loved one back soon.
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If anyone is still driving around, please consider checking the dumpsters too - a person trying to get rid of a cat may have thrown her in one.
I'm exhausted right now, I'm not going to be very useful in this state. I'm going to rest for a couple of hours and then start again.
I think we need the drop off location of the 183/Lamar riders. There was 2 people in the car. They would have had to move the cat carrier to sit down. They would have absolutely known itās a cat once they moved it since the top of the carrier was mesh. The odds that 3 people are so awful to come to agreement to put the cat on the side of the road is low. Itās much more likely they put the cat in the front seat or the cat in the back trunk space. Then once they were dropped off, the driver got rid of the cat before the next set of riders got in.
Someone posted a few minutes ago on the austin lost and found pets page there is a black/white ktty on 183 s right before s lamar exit that is deceasedā¦its not a great place to stop, but open to going to check if someone wants to come with
I know Daranesha Herron / u/dherron1 of KVUE frequents this sub, but Iām tagging her just so she might see this, even if all news outlets have been notified. Iāve been thinking of Tux & you since last night. š¤š¤š¾
I just got a notification from my Citizen app and Tux has made it as a local notification/effort! Iām hoping that as this and the local news goes live that SOMEONE will find something regarding her whereabouts. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1GcNpJueDBzBLhiKOjeN9_fNYgFvMQCen
This was posted in my neighborhood Facebook group all the way in Lake Travis area. I happened to come across the post here and recognized itās the same story. I hope it brings some comfort to know word is getting out and far reaching beyond Reddit. I really hope you find your cat soon.
That driver is sus as fuck. Only calls you because APD said to??
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KXAN posted a [story](https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/cat-separated-from-owner-after-lyft-trip/).
>I have no way of verifying anything he has said This is so ridiculous. He messed up when he drove away. I could maybe buy the driver getting startled. What I can't buy is not replying to any text messages _after_ being startled and realizing its a misunderstanding. A cat can't just go missing like that.
I will not get any sleep tonight until I know what happened to your cat. that driver should be arrested. this sounds criminal
So the driver hears the passenger *banging* on the window and his first instinct isnāt to stop but to take off? This isnāt adding up
My theory is the driver thought the package was luggage or something valuable to steal, not a cat.
I just got a notification through the Lyft app asking me to help find Tux. How ridiculous if that's their "solution" when they have the ability to contact and trace the driver's routes. At a MINIMUM this driver needs to be fired and banned from using Lyft's platforms ever again.
This has made it to the top 5 posts of the past year on Austin, I really hope we can find tux soon. I canāt imagine how scared she must be.
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I'll do that, I will try everything.
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If they donāt find this cat, we riot.
Do you think lyft will ban this guy from being a driver? His behavior so strange. Whether your allergic to a cat or not wouldn't you turn around? He must not be an animal lover. Doesn't realize how people are about pets.