Search is on for Rupert, the pet wallaby, who is missing in Monee
MONEE, Ill. (CBS) – A search was underway for a runaway pet, but it's not your typical furry friend.
It was a wallaby that was unfamiliar with the wild. CBS 2's Marybel Gonzalez spoke to the family, who is pleading for help to find him.
"He's a character. He's got emotions. He's got a personality," said Josie Shockwave.
Rupert the wallaby may be an exotic pet, but to Shockwave, he's family.
"He's an emotional support animal for me and my fiancé," she said. "We love him to death."
In Illinois, it's legal to own wallabies. Rupert joined the family when he was just a baby.
"When we first got him, he was 4-and-a-half pounds," Shockwave said. "He was in a pouch. We literally take him with us everywhere."
That includes car rides. The family takes Rupert out daily.
"Every couple of hours, I let him out just to go do his business in the backyard," Shockwave said.
But it's been three days since she's last seen him.
"I turned my back for a minute, and he was gone," she said. "It's been a totally new experience for us, and he's been a joy and we're horribly missing him."
The biggest obstacle in the search for Rupert is the large amount of land surrounding his home. There's plenty of open space where he could've roamed.
Volunteers like Jeny Kowalsky, of PAWS at Tinley Park, have hopped into action to find him. They're putting up colorful flyers and setting up a cage in case he comes back, which she said was a humane trap with food and a camera.
"Some of the sightings that we've had have been wooded areas," she said.
The surrounding police departments are also on watch. Those looking for him are also concerned about the weather.
"I'm terrified that he's gotten hurt," said Shockwave. "If he's been out in this weather for the past two days, he's probably soaked through his undercoat, and he could be cold."
If spotted, they're asking people not to attempt to capture Rupert, but rather call the number on the flyers, 708-710-3148.o
"I just want someone to get a hold of us so we can come get him," said Shockwave. "He's too important to use. I can't risk losing him."