Lost Hamster Sends Dad Into A Frenzy That Goes Viral
A hamster is a great pet in many ways. They're generally low maintenance, they're small so that they don't take up too much space, and they generally have sweet demeanors. Their one downfall is their ability to completely disappear.
They're really small, super fast, and very keen escape artists who love to sneak out of the cage whenever the opportunity arises. This poor dad just about lost his mind when his daughter's hamster made a run for freedom.
Meet Chester And Steph
Nineteen-year-old Steph loves animals, and her pet hamster, Chester, is no exception. On Twitter, she describes him as the "light of her life" and "not just a hamster".
They have an incredible bond and she really cares for him, despite having a few people question her attachment to the little guy.
Dad Got Put In Charge Of Chester
At the end of August of 2019, Steph had to leave behind her furry friend as she ventured away from home to go to college in Boston, where pets are not permitted in the dorms.
When she left, her father, Daniel Veerman, was tasked with taking care of Chester until she returned home.
Steph Received This Alarming Text In The Morning
On Nov. 24, Steph received this panicked text from her father, leading her to run and duck into a washroom so that she could make a call home.
Once on the phone with her father, she was worried that a family member had passed away because her father was crying.
The Hamster Is M.I.A.
As it turns out, Chester has gone missing. Daniel regularly let him run around in his little plastic ball for exercise, but Chester had managed to pry it open and escape that day.
Seeing her father was absolutely wracked with guilt and worry, Steph tried to reassure him that everything would be okay.
Daniel Goes To Every Length To Track Down Chester
Daniel sat down and Google searched for ways to find a lost hamster, leading him to set up an elaborate scheme to find Chester.
From trying to see if he can track Chester's little footsteps to trying to lure him out of hiding with peanut butter, Daniel refuses to rest until he's found the little guy.
Chester Is Located!
In the most infuriating and hilarious turn of events, it turned out that Chester was found just chilling in his cage at the end of the day. Daniel, however, was overwhelmingly relieved to have located the hamster.
Only, not soon later, Chester attempted to escape again! At least Daniel is an experienced hamster locator now.
Daniel And Chester Are Best Of Pals Through It All
Despite her father's initial reluctance for her to get a hamster as a pet, he clearly has become attached to the little fur-ball. Daniel, who works as a lawyer, comes home every day to hang out with Chester, carrying him around in his shirt pocket.
His overwhelming fear of losing Chester was touching, to say the least. Steph shared the story in a series of tweets that went viral with over 52,000 likes!
Dad's Will Always Do The Most For Their Daughters
The most adorable and sweet part of this story is how worried this father was about letting his daughter down with something she had trusted him with.
His refusal to rest until he'd found Chester and could let her know that the little guy was safe just goes to show that dads really will do the most to assure their daughters' are happy.
