A Brazilian influencer has adopted a new pet duck after her old one was stolen during a break-in at her home.
Julia Olympio took to Instagram on 28th May to share a tender snap of herself cuddling her new pet with her 637,000 followers.
She wrote: “She arrived at such a difficult moment to bring a little joy. God doesn’t do things without a reason.
“Everything He does, plans, and allows has a purpose, even if we can’t see it!”
She also invited her followers to help her name the female duck, only stipulating that it cannot be called Patolina like her previous pet duck Patolino.
Julia adopted the duck as a pet after the Civil Police called her to inform her that they had found a duck-like bird resembling Patolino.
But it turned out to be an approximately six-month-old female Crested duck that had been looked after by a family that could no longer afford to keep it.
Julia wrote on Instagram on 27th May: “It wasn’t my Patolino, but God wanted to bring this duck into my life with the purpose of giving her a dignified life.
“I could never leave and ignore the plea for help from the family who bought the duck, and according to the police, the place where the duck was supposed to live was entirely inadequate for her long-term survival.
“I won’t give up on finding my child; I won’t lose hope, even though the police have investigated extensively and haven’t found any news.
“I believe in the God who performs miracles, and if it’s His will, I will have the opportunity to experience the happiest day of my life, which would be the day of my reunion with my child.”
Julia had left her home in Mogi das Cruzes on 13th April and returned to find her beloved pet duck Patolino gone.
She got in touch with a company specialising in locating lost pets. However, searches for the missing duck yielded no clues.
The influencer said at the time: “Unfortunately, I left the house and when I came back, he wasn’t there anymore.
“We don’t think any animal killed him. If they had killed him, we would have found the body or seen some trace. We think someone took him.”
Officers from the Environmental Crimes Investigation Department, who are handling the case, have analysed security camera footage from the influencer’s condominium and have interviewed witnesses, but Patolino remains missing to this day.
Julia announced on 21st May that a reward of BRL 30,000 (GBP 4,900) is up for grabs for anyone who returns Patolino.
