Family Searches For Missing Cockatiel, Pepper, Who Flew Coop
SOUTHOLD, NY — A Southold family is searching for their missing cockatiel, Pepper, who flew the coop on Sunday.
Pepper, said his owner Kelly Dimon, is at least seven years old; she got him as an adult.
He escaped on Mother's Day, she said. "He spends a lot of time on our shoulders; he has free range of the house. But because of coronavirus, we have not been able to get his wings clipped."
On Sunday, Dimon said, Pepper was "hanging out" on a family member's shoulder when they opened the door and forgot he was there. By the time they got back inside, Pepper had taken off.
Pepper flew away once before and was found on Shelter Island where he'd landed in a family's yard and perched himself happily on the shoulder of a good Samaritan who reunited him with his owners.
Anyone who sees Pepper, Dimon said, should whistle. "He loves whistling. And his favorite snack is Doritos, so if you have Doritos, he'll dive down."
Dimon asked anyone who sees him to try to get him safely inside the house, a car, or a shed until she can come retrieve him.
Her family is broken-hearted, Dimon said. She wasn't even a bird lover until Pepper, she said, won her heart. "Now I love birds," she said.
The bright yellow bird has been a light in her family's lives, she said.
"He's a great little friend," she said. "He's always there. He's just a wonderful pet. We miss him so much. He's been a part of our family for so long; even our dog loves him. Everyone who comes over gets a kick out of him. He's just the best thing. I feel so badly. I just want him home and safe."
If you see Pepper, call Dimon at 631-680-8014. Or call the North Fork Animal Hospital, where she works as a vet tech, at 631-765-2400, or bring him to the North Fork Animal Hospital, located at 58605 Rt. 25 in Southold.
A reward is offered for Pepper's safe return.
This article originally appeared on the North Fork Patch
