When the new update came out with pets they said they would give a free one to start out with and right as that pop up message came my game crashed and now I have no crate.

You can try a http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1572962-oh-hey-a-pet-aaaaand-now-its-gone/. It worked for me, but not for the last person who asked. Sooo... I guess it's a 50/50 chance.