Cat allegedly stolen by Uber Eats driver located, reunited with its owner

A cat that was allegedly stolen by an Uber Eats driver has been found and was reunited with its family on Thursday morning.

FOX 11's Gigi Graciette was there for the emotional reunion between Hog and her owner, Patrick Lewis.

"I'm speechless. I thought a few days ago… ‘this isn’t going to happen, we're never going to see her again,'" Lewis told Graciette.

A homeowner in Van Nuys said her senior dog kept barking at a fern in their yard, and then she noticed that he was barking at Hog the cat.

"I just knew that she belonged to somebody, but I just thought it was probably a neighbor that was letting her out, and I just thought she was too precious to be out because it's not a good urban envirornment for kitties to be out," the homeowner said.

She said she saw a post on Nextdoor about Hog and was able to get in contact with Lewis.

Lewis said he called the Uber Eats driver after Hog was located, and said that she started crying.

"Cuz she’s off the hook. Like I said all along, no one’s mad, we just want Hog back and now Hog’s back… No hard feelings, I’m just so happy right now," said Hog.

The beloved cat was stolen from the front yard of a home in Studio City last Tuesday, and the culprit was a food delivery driver caught on camera taking the cat.

The cat, named Hog, is 18 years old and has lived with the same family since she was just a kitten.

After the story initially aired on FOX 11, the Uber Eats driver got in touch with the family and told them she thought the cat was a stray and that she gave her to a family at an animal shelter.

Hog's owner said she does not look like a stray and was wearing a collar.

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The female Uber Eats driver was reportedly delivering food to another home on Laurelwood Dr. when she took the cat who was sitting on the sidewalk.

Hog's collar, tags and all, were found on the sidewalk. 

After putting the cat in the backseat of her car, the Uber Eats driver went on to deliver the food.

The family said they were heartbroken when the cat was taken. 

"My kids ask, they keep saying, ‘When’s Hog coming home? When’s Hog coming home?’" Lewis initially told FOX 11's Gigi Graciette.

The family even filed a police report.

In a written statement to FOX 11, an Uber Eats spokesperson said, "What the customer reported is unacceptable. We are working to get the cat returned, stand ready to help in the police investigation, and will take the appropriate action against the delivery person."

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