EXETER — Jester is back and ready to head to his forever home.
The cockatiel, not yet a year old, was stolen from its nest at Friendly Pets on Portsmouth Street on Monday, March 4. Thanks to social media and community support, the birds were returned, said Arline Gardiner, the facility's regional manager. store.
Friendly Pets posted on Facebook on March 26th, “We are so happy to share the wonderful news that our beloved baby has been found and safely returned,'' and “Share our post I cannot thank everyone enough for providing valuable information.” That led to her safe return. Your support and love is invaluable to us and we are forever grateful to each and every one of you. ”
Gardiner said the bird theft was captured on the store's security camera and shared on social media on March 25.
She said the video showed a middle-aged woman entering the store just after 1 p.m.
Gardiner said the woman spent a long time inside the store before inquiring about adopting Jester.
“At the time, there was no reason to think there was any malicious intent,” she said.
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But when the employee went to retrieve the adoption papers, the woman fled the store with Jester in hand, Gardiner said.
“She put the bird in a reusable shopping bag and just left the store with it,” Gardiner said. “It all happened in a really short amount of time.”
Gardiner said she reported the theft to police. Police identified the woman from surveillance footage, but said they had difficulty locating her.
That's when Gardiner took to social media to ask for the public's help in bringing Jester home. She said she was inspired by the community effort to find the thief who stole a gold bracelet from Exeter Jewelers last month.
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Gardiner said the social media post was shared multiple times and Jester reappeared the next morning.
“We've had several customers come in and say they saw cages inside while walking through the store,” Gardiner said. “Someone came with the bird, dropped it into the cage and left it there.”
Gardiner said Jester was “doing really well.”
“I wanted to thank the community for helping us and being proactive,” she said. “I don't think we would have been able to get her back without the help of her community.”
Police Chief Stephen Poulin said the incident is still under investigation and he could not comment further.
Friendly Pets, located at 81 Portsmouth Avenue, is a locally owned business with two locations in Leigh and Exeter. The Exeter store has been open for nearly eight years and offers pet supplies and animal adoption.
In addition to birds, the store also sells small animals such as fish, reptiles and hamsters, Gardiner said.
Mr Gardiner, who is native to Australia, said cockatiels were a “top” pet bird that most people choose to own because they were “very popular” and had very friendly personalities.
Gardiner said the store's focus is ultimately on finding Jester a loving home. She said the price to adopt a bird varies and anyone interested should visit the store in person.
“Animals are a really good comfort to people. The idea of having an animal is wonderful. Maybe she really wanted a bird,” Gardiner said.
