Written by Johan Kok
Professional photography BlissfulTails
Luno, our beautiful Dachshund, has been the centre of our family for three-and-a-half years. He’s an incredible therapy dog who goes absolutely everywhere with us and sleeps right between my partner and me.
Kidnapped by the Uber driver
Our nightmare began early on the morning of Wednesday the 19th of August. Luno woke us up in immense pain from what turned out to be a burst abscess. We immediately ordered an Uber to rush him to the emergency vet. After the vet treated him and drained the abscess, we stopped at Cresta Mall to withdraw cash to pay for the trip.
While I was at the ATM, the unimaginable happened: the Uber driver sped off with my partner and Luno still in the car.
The driver then contacted me demanding ransom money. My partner managed a terrifying escape from the vehicle in the Randburg CBD, but the driver got away with Luno.
Let down by official channels
The fight to get him back was an uphill battle. Uber’s support only provided automated bot replies, and when I went to their head office, security refused to let me past the gates.
The police response was equally frustrating. I was repeatedly refused the right to open a case and it took eight attempts – and the help of a private investigator – before the police finally allowed me to open a docket.
For three-and-a-half weeks, Luno was gone. It was an agonising period, made worse by immense public negativity and false allegations.
A miracle happens
Then, the miracle we’d been praying for happened. A therapy dog company hosting an event at a park noticed Luno wandering around. They were absolutely amazing and stepped in to help bring him back to us.
Today, Luno’s in great shape. He’s fully recovered from his ordeal and his abscess, and it feels incredible to have him back where he belongs. I want to extend a massive thank you to the general public who shared our story on social media. The care and response from the pet-owning community have been overwhelming.
To anyone travelling with pets in an e-hailing vehicle: always ensure the vehicle exactly matches the app description – it turned out our driver was an illegal Uber rental – and make sure to turn on additional safety features, like in-transit audio recording.
