Reward Offered For Rare Birds Stolen From South OC Feed Store

DANA POINT, CA — Sheriff's deputies Friday were looking for two men who broke into a Dana Point feed store this week and stole three rare-bird pets.

Now, owners of the Feed Barn in Capistrano Beach are pleading with the public to be on the lookout, with a cash reward being offered for the safe return of Cody, Sweetie and Baby Love.

The burglary happened at about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Feed Barn store, 34192 Doheny Park Road, authorities said. The burglary was not discovered until 9 a.m. Tuesday, when the manager was opening the store, Orange County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Carrie Braun said.

The two burglars smashed through a glass front door and took a double yellow-headed Amazon parrot, an Umbrella Cockatoo and a Congo African parrot worth an estimated $7,500 combined, she said.

The suspects grabbed the birds from their cages before stuffing them in backpacks and fleeing, Braun said.

Store manager Amber Cardona said she called sheriff's deputies as soon as she saw the broken glass when she arrived at work. She said that for some reason, the break-in did not trip the store's alarm system, which was later triggered when deputies opened the store's door to begin investigating.

The Congo African — Sweetie — is 35 years old; the Amazon parrot — Cody — is 40; and the cockatoo — Baby Love — is 22, Cardona said.

"Me and the white one were bonded," Cardona said, adding she and the owner were close to the pets. The birds have been at the store for the past few years or so, she added.

Store employees are scouring social media, Craigslist and Swap Meets to see if anyone was trying to sell the birds.

Anyone with information about the stolen birds was asked to call sheriff's deputies at 714-647-7000, Braun said.

City News Service contributed to this report.