Woman walks out of store with $2K bird - Dallas News | myFOXdfw.com

The general manager of a local pet store is angry that a shoplifter stole his pet parrot.

"It was a $1,700 bird that walked out the door on her shoulder," said Christopher Brauer.

The woman walked into the Preston Road Petland store in North Dallas Thursday night and put the bird on her shoulder. She walked around the store and then just walked out with the Solomon Island Eclectus Parrot named Pretty Bird.

"It was a little shocking at first to see somebody would do this right behind the back of somebody right there and just in front of the customers that are standing there pointing at the bird on her shoulder," Brauer said.

The bird is bright red with a blue chest. The theft was so obvious even a little boy can be seen on surveillance video pointing at her and commenting that she had just walked out.

Brauer said she may have gotten the bird, but she left her bag behind.

FOX 4 News was interviewing him Friday morning when a man actually walked in to claim it.

Police questioned him, but he wasn't arrested. They do not believe he was involved. He told them a friend had asked for his help retrieving her forgotten purse.

"How does that make you feel that she asked you for a favor and kind of put you in a tough position," asked a FOX 4 photographer.

"Very upset. So, I had nothing to do with it, though," he said.

The workers at Petland said Pretty Bird was more than just a pet parrot.

"It was a major loss. We've had the bird since she was a hatchling. We've hand fed it and socialized it so I've got a lot of employees that have bonded with the bird," Brauer said.

He's just hoping police are able to locate the woman and Pretty Bird soon, especially since she requires special care and can get stressed out moving around a lot.