A much-loved homeless man was reunited with his stolen pet rat in a heartwarming video.
Chris left his rat, called Lucy, in her makeshift home outside a Footlocker while he crossed the road to use a public toilet.
After returning to his regular spot on Pitt Street, in Sydney's city centre, he was devastated to see Lucy had been taken.
Chris frantically searched nearby for his beloved pet, asking passers-by if they had seen her or seen anyone take her.
After having no luck in tracking her down, 59-year-old Chris then contacted police - desperate to be reunited with Lucy.
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He also made a sign appealing for help, reading: "My pet rat Lucy was stolen on Saturday.
"Lucy is black and white with a bit of brown. Chris"
An image of Chris sitting alongside the sign went viral after being uploaded on April 9 and liked 20,000 times, reports Daily Mail Australia .
Alyson Pearce, who works near Chris's regular spot, uploaded the image, saying she felt “genuinely distressed” to see him without Lucy.
She said: “Almost every day since I started my job in the city Chris and his pet rat Lucy have sat in the same spot, Chris chatting to passers-by & Lucy happily munching, sleeping and looking on.
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“They are a feature of Sydney city life and I have always smiled when I see them and felt glad they had each other.
“Taking a homeless person’s loved pet – seriously, what a really low act.”
Police used social media to help share Chris's plight, calling on locals to keep an eye out for the black, brown and white rodent.
They also searched through CCTV of the area, eventually spotting and releasing footage of a woman approaching Chris's belongings and leaving with Lucy.
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Two weeks after first reporting Lucy missing, Chris was then reunited with her after police tracked down the woman who claimed she believed Lucy had been abandoned.
The touching reunion was caught on video.
In it, Lucy is seen excitedly scuttling towards Chris, climbing onto his shoulder and giving him a kiss.
Chris says: "She remembers me. Sorry to put you all through the trouble looking for her."
