HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A $350 bird was stolen from a northwest Houston store and the theft was caught on camera.
Now, A Parrot's Cove owners are hoping to get the cockatiel back. They're not concerned so much about the cost, but the fact that the bird needs proper care.
"It’s a living animal. We’ve hand-raised that bird. We handle her every day. We give her food and water and they go to the vet when they’re sick. You get invested in them so it’s kind of sad when I’m not positive she’s going to a good place," store manager Emma Becker said.
While A Parrot's Cove might not be the quietest store to shop in, it might be one of the coolest. They have more than 150 birds -- from Amazons to macaws to cockatoos to cockatiels.
"The one that got stolen is the white-faced cockatiel. They're an Australian bird ... they’re very sweet precocious little guys," Becker said.
Becker said the bird was stolen on Monday. She said they got a call asking if they had a female cockatiel. They did and that customer came by to get it. Becker said they put the bird in a box and set it on the counter. But, when workers weren't looking, they said the customer grabbed the box and took off.
"He waited on the other side for a minute. And when I turned back to the register, he walked the bird out the door without paying for it," Becker said.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office said it is investigating. Anyone with information is asked to call them.