Influencer Who Lost Dog in Car Theft Finally Reunited with Pup After 6 ‘Heartbreaking’ Days

Food blogger Taylor Hannan (known on Instagram as “AustinEater”) announced that he had located his missing dog, Noodles, after nearly a week

NEED TO KNOW

  • Austin-based food blogger Taylor Hannan, known on Instagram as "AustinEater," was finally reunited with his missing pup after nearly a week
  • Six days prior, Hannan shared on Instagram that his car had been stolen while Noodles was inside
  • "So many of you were praying for us, sending kind messages, and keeping your eyes peeled. I felt that love every single day," he wrote in a heartfelt message on Instagram

An Austin-based influencer has finally found his missing pup.

Early in the morning of Friday, Aug. 1, Taylor Hannan — known by his 100,000-plus followers on Instagram as “AustinEater” — announced in an emotional post that he had been reunited with Noodles, his 8-year-old terrier mix, after nearly a week.

"But this wasn't just luck," he wrote on Instagram, explaining in detail what happened to Noodles — and how the two were brought back together.

Hannan was about to leave for a road trip with Noodles, he explained on Instagram on July 25, when he secured his pup in the backseat of his car and quickly headed back into his house before leaving town. When he came back outside, he saw a person in a black hoodie quickly hop into his vehicle and drive off with Noodles inside.

Over the next few days, Hannan mobilized his followers and sympathetic locals alike to track down his lost pup.

According to KVUE, Hannan’s car was spotted roughly 20 miles from the site it was stolen on Saturday — but Noodles was no longer inside. The next day, Hannan led a search effort by “a group of incredible volunteers” through Austin, he wrote on Instagram.

Despite not having any luck at first, Hannan didn’t lose hope.

As his story gained traction, even a private investigator reached out to help find the lost dog. And on Thursday, the investigator chased down a tip Hannan had received from one of his followers that his dog was spotted in Del Valle, an edge city in the Greater Austin area.

“He called me,” wrote Hannan on Instagram. “He found Noodles. He’s safe. He’s tired. But he’s okay. And he’s home.”

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“I’ve never felt more lucky — or more aware of how lucky we are,” he continued. “So many of you were praying for us, sending kind messages, and keeping your eyes peeled. I felt that love every single day. And I also felt the weight of it. It was heartbreaking to receive so much kindness while Noodles was still out there, scared and alone. It didn’t feel fair.”

The content creator concluded his post by thanking the Austin community for rallying around the search efforts.

“Thank you. For every share. Every message. Every late-night thought sent into the universe,” Hannan wrote. “I’ll never stop being grateful — for all of us.”

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