Tux the cat has been successfully located, and Lyft has stepped up to cover all the veterinary expenses, according to a statement by a Lyft spokesperson to Ars.
"We are thrilled to announce that Tux has been reunited with her owner, and our primary focus is ensuring Tux receives the necessary care, which includes covering all her veterinary bills," said Lyft's spokesperson to Ars.
The heartwarming story of Tux garnered significant attention online after her owner, Palash Pandey, shared his efforts to locate his missing cat on social media. Tux went missing on a Saturday, causing concern among millions of online followers who feared she might never be found. However, Pandey recently posted that Lyft's investigators played a crucial role in locating Tux, who was discovered at a real estate agency in Austin, Texas.
In an update on his post, Pandey shared the good news, stating, "The investigators from Lyft found Tux! She appears tired, covered in fleas, and dehydrated. She has started eating wet food again, which is a positive sign. I'll continue to monitor her condition and take her to the vet as soon as she calms down and stabilizes a bit. I'll provide further updates once I hear from the vet."
Ars attempted to reach Pandey for additional comments but was unsuccessful.
According to Pandey's account, the incident occurred as he was on his way to the vet with Tux safely secured in a carrier on the floor of the passenger-side backseat during the Lyft ride. When Pandey exited the vehicle, he intended to open the passenger-side door to retrieve Tux, but unfortunately, the Lyft driver drove away before he could do so.
In a state of distress, Pandey made multiple attempts to contact the driver, offering to pay for the driver's return or to meet him to recover the cat. However, he received no response from the driver for hours. When the driver finally responded, he claimed that the cat was no longer in the car.
Pandey expressed his frustration, stating that Lyft's response was unhelpful, which led him to vow never to use the app again and advise others to do the same.
Lyft has promised to review its policies in light of this incident. The Lyft spokesperson did not directly address the appropriateness of the driver's or Lyft representative Yasmine's response but stated that they would continue to work closely with Palash to provide necessary support. The spokesperson also mentioned that Lyft was actively evaluating its policies to enhance community support, especially in cases like this.
Lyft's policy regarding non-service animals states that passengers can request permission to bring pets on rides. However, it is up to the driver to decide whether to allow the pet in their vehicle. Passengers are encouraged to call ahead to seek the driver's permission, and if the driver declines, the passenger should cancel the ride and request another one.
In Pandey's thread on social media, the Lyft driver later claimed that he was allergic to cats and would have canceled the ride if he had known there was a cat in the carrier. He also stated that he sped away because he got startled, though Pandey expressed doubts about this explanation.
The heartwarming aspect of this story was the outpouring of support from social media users who rallied behind Pandey in his quest to find Tux. As Tux's story went viral and Pandey continued to tag @AskLyft for assistance, Lyft's investigators became involved and successfully located the cat, capturing her safely and transferring her to a new carrier. Unfortunately, Pandey's original cat carrier was never recovered, and it remains unclear whether the Lyft driver or subsequent passengers removed the cat from the vehicle. Despite the challenges, the support from the online community helped Pandey maintain hope that Tux would eventually be found.
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