Otis the Pug loves his walks through San Francisco with his mom, Kelly Fitch. Not only does he enjoy the exercise and the smells, but he adores the attention that he gets wherever he goes. He often gets stopped for photos and lots of love. This is because he’s actually an Instagram star with over 25,000 followers.
However, this Pug’s cheerful life took a dark turn when he was stolen out of his apartment one day. In a shocking development, it appeared that an intruder used a key to enter Fitch’s apartment.
A camera in the apartment captured a video of Otis running to the door to greet the stranger, and then he was gone. Sadly, the footage was not able to capture who that intruder was. Fitch claims that she only knows a few people that have a key to her place though.
The Search for Otis
When Kelly Fitch discovered that Otis was missing, she was devastated. She was determined to do whatever it took to get her best friend back.
In hopes of finding Otis as soon as possible, Fitch put up fliers all over the city and even offered a $15,000 reward to anyone that found him. While the reward was a financial strain for Fitch, she knew that the large amount of money was worth getting Otis back to her safely.
Just before the break of dawn the next day, Fitch received a call. It was from a homeless man that claimed to have seen Otis at a nearby homeless encampment. She was hesitant at first, but she knew she had to go just in case this man was telling the truth.
Fitch went to meet the man at an Exxon gas station with two of her close friends. It was still dark out, but she felt safer knowing she wasn’t going alone.
A Friendly Stranger
When they met up with the man, he showed them his ID to help them feel more comfortable. Then, he went on to explain that he had seen Otis in a tent with a woman at a homeless encampment. The man worked as an electrician, so he had seen the fliers for Otis all over and knew he had to help.
He showed them the tent where he had seen Otis, but the woman and Otis were no longer there. The man decided to wait around with Fitch and her friends to see if the woman would soon return with the lost Pug. The caring stranger was missing work while they waited, but he claimed it was worth it because he knew the dog was hers.
Over an hour later, the woman came to the tent with Otis. Otis perked up immediately at the sight of Fitch. He knew right away that she was his mom, and he was so happy to be with her again.
The woman, whose name was Patricia, explained that another woman had approached her with Otis. She had told Patricia that Otis was her dog that she was giving away, so Patricia took him. She had no idea that the Pug was stolen, and she tried her best to explain the alleged kidnapper’s appearance to Fitch and her friends.
Reunited Again
The man that had helped her find Otis wanted to remain anonymous. In fact, he didn’t even want to accept the $15,000 reward. He told her that he knew it was her dog, so he just wanted to do the right thing.
Fitch insists that both he and Patricia will be properly rewarded though. In fact, she has even made plans to have lunch with him.
“The man who found him is the angel we all prayed for and I can’t even describe what he did to make this happen,” Fitch wrote. “A complete stranger who owed me nothing gave me my entire world back and jumped through hoops to get him (Otis) off the streets and back to me.”
With Otis safe once again, Fitch went around and took down all the posters. She also gave Otis a well-deserved bath.
Currently, Fitch is on the lookout for the person who stole Otis from her. She even has plans to hire a private investigator to get down to the bottom of it.
However, the most important thing to her is that Otis is back with her and that he is safe. She is so grateful for all the kind people involved because without them, she might have never been able to find Otis. The kindness of two strangers greatly changed her life for the better.
UPDATE:
Not long after Otis was returned, surveillance footage was found that showed someone Fitch knew walking away with Otis. Fitch was able to identify the woman as the resident manager of her building. She and Otis have since moved out and put this ugly event behind them – but they still keep up with their hero, Steve.
Featured Image: @otisthepugsf/Instagram
H/T: abc7news.com
Toledo, United States.
