Cockatiel reported stolen from pet store
May 12—EAU CLAIRE — Tropic Waters Pet Center owner Jim Reiman has been pleased to provide pets to area residents for decades, but he is unhappy about a recent unauthorized transaction.
Reiman says someone apparently stole Lily, a male white-faced cockatiel owned by the store's general manager, from the shop at 3015 E. Hamilton Ave. The bird is believed to have been taken between 5 and 7 p.m. Friday and had not been recovered as of Wednesday.
The general manager has owned the cockatiel since it was less than two months old and has kept Lily at the store for the past six years or so.
"Lily was one of our prized attractions, one of our come-see-and-visit pets," Reiman said. "He was just a really good pet."
The popular cockatiel often was allowed to fly freely around the store among employees in the morning, but was kept in a cage when the shop was open during the day. Customers often would pet the tame bird through the cage bars.
"The bird is very, very trusting, especially of women, so he would just hop right on a person's shoulder," Reiman said.
Lily, who Reiman said was probably worth about $400, was not for sale, Reiman stressed.
Cockatiels, which can live up to 25 years, are known for their personality and antics. They are considered social birds and often, like Lily, have the ability to whistle.
"Like any pet, the more time you spend with them, the more they interact and the more ingrained they become with the pet owner's life," Reiman said.
In addition to reporting the theft to the Eau Claire Police Department on Saturday, Reiman is offering a $200 reward for information that leads to Lily's recovery.
Though cases of bird theft are rare, Eau Claire police plan to deploy their usual investigative techniques, including viewing possible surveillance footage and talking to witnesses, in their attempt to solve the crime, said Josh Miller, public information officer.
In the meantime, Tropic Waters took to social media to seek any information from the public that could be helpful to the case.
"Please everyone keep an eye out for Lily, our white face cockatiel as he was stolen from us Friday evening," the shop posted on its Facebook page.
"We are absolutely devastated and heartbroken that someone would do this. We are holding out hope that someone out there knows something that will lead to our bird's return."
Lily has been in great health for many years while receiving top-notch care, but Reiman said he fears that whoever took Lily may not provide him with the same level of care.
The shop has endured a few other pet thefts over the years, and Reiman said unfortunately this latest incident may force it to keep more animals locked up and less accessible to customers.
