July 19, 2017
The owners of a small Berks County petting zoo are calling on the community for help after four exotic birds were found taken from their cages earlier this week.
Employees at the Oley Turnpike Dairy, in Oley, Pennsylvania, found just snipped wires and empty cages where their pair of yellow-headed Amazons, sun conure and African grey parrot should have been Sunday, NBC10 Philadelphia reported.
The dairy, which is also a restaurant, ice cream parlor and petting zoo with more than 150 animals, took to Facebook on Monday, noting the disappearance and that some of the birds have lived at the establishment for more than two decades.
"It just seems a shame that somebody has to go and rob animals," Darlene Moser, owner of the Oley Turnpike Dairy, told the Reading Eagle.
Staffers say they believe that the alleged thief or thieves will look to sell the birds, which could be worth thousands of dollars. Juliet Stewart, a manager at the Oley Dairy, told WFMZ that those at the dairy are searching pet stores, Craiglist or eBay for the birds.
"Feathers everywhere and actual blood," Stewart said. "I'm just hoping everybody is OK, our birds anyway."
It's not the first time that such an incident has hit the dairy. Two baby goats were also allegedly stolen from the petting zoo in October 2015 and have not yet been found.
Police are investigating the situation. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 610-987-6656 or the Oley Turnpike Dairy at 610-914-9214.
