Posted: July 23, 2008, 5 a.m. EDT
In the weeks following the theft of Jackeline Villa’s seven pet birds in Orlando, Fla., on June 29 and July 5, no news or leads to the missing birds have surfaced.
Villa’s birds were stolen from her home twice in one week. Her African grey parrot and baby cockatiel disappeared during the initial break-in on Sunday, June 29, and five additional birds vanished nearly a week later on Saturday, July 5.
“It’s a very sad story,” Villa said. “I was outside posting fliers for my other two birds on Saturday, July 5, and when I came back, my cockatoo, my two cockatiels and my two [budgies] were gone.”
Although a police officer has been assigned to Villa’s case, she says the police department currently has no leads on the whereabouts of her pets or on the identity of the thief.
“I think [my birds] were put in a cooler because I have a big blue cooler outside that disappeared,” Villa said with emotion. “I can’t believe someone would do something like that to my animals! I love them! I treat them with respect and with love. I cannot believe it.”
Villa said a number of behaviors and phrases can help differentiate her birds from others. Pythagoras, her African grey parrot, “plays like he’s a rooster. He barks like a dog and always says, ‘Scoobie Doobie Doo!’” Villa added that Toby, one of her cockatiels, refers to himself as “Toby, Toby, Toby!”
“They’re all very friendly and love to talk to other birds, except for my cockatoo, Nefertiti,” Villa said. “She’s not as friendly, and she’s very afraid of people.”
Villa hopes these unique qualities and expressions will help lead others to her “babies.”
“When birds are scared,” Villa said, “they don’t talk for a while. It’s like with people. They feel miserable. But I’m hoping that maybe if my birds are scared enough, they will talk more, and people will hear them and recognize them.”
Villa encourages anyone with information about the whereabouts of her beloved birds to call her anytime at 321-663-6341. She is fluent in English and Spanish.
“Please!” Villa said. “If anyone can lead me to them, I’ll give them $1,000. I won’t call the police on them. I don’t care who took them. I just want my babies back.”