Walnut Creek Office Workers Spot Lost Bird But No One Would Retrieve It

WALNUT CREEK (KPIX) -A pet bird missing since the weekend was found Monday at a Walnut Creek office building. Now it has been lost again and now some are claiming what happened was inhumane.

The story began Tuesday at the Muir Orthopedic Center in Walnut Creek when patients noticed something sitting on the 3rd floor window sill.

A grey and white cockatiel with a yellow crest was spotted by Teresa Clemens who recorded a video that was later posted on social media. The window doesn't open and Teresa says it was obvious the bird needed rescuing.

"We all were just…our hearts were melting for this little guy who was clearly someone's beloved pet," she said.

But Teresa says no one would help. She says the County fire department refused to come and building management would not call their window washing company to assist with a rescue.

When a gust of wind lifted the bird up onto the roof, Teresa says a building manager refused to send anyone up to look for it.

"He basically said, well, hopefully he'll be there in the morning," she said, "and we can see if we can get back up there then."

By Tuesday morning, the bird was gone.

The 11-month-old cockatiel's name is Juniper, and his owner, Diana Santana, says he escaped from her home on Sunday. She has been trying to put up a brave front since then.

"I don't want to get really emotional," she said, "but, like…yeah, it's really…I'm going to miss him a lot."

"I think if it was a cat or a dog it would have been treated completely differently," said Lisa Myers, owner of an exotic bird store, Feathered Follies. "I think there's a lack of compassion and education when it comes to people who own other animals, like birds."

Pet birds often escape and Myers says they cannot survive in the wild for long and become easy prey for predators. So, it's essential that a search begins immediately.

Carol Kessler is a member of a support group called "911 Parrot Alert" that looks for lost birds. She feels the inaction of building management was inexcusable.

"There's a picture and a video of this cockatiel sitting on the other side of this window which did not open," she said angrily, "and nobody…NOBODY who could help would help. I cannot even compute that. It is inhumane."

Birds like Juniper are fragile and Diana knows the clock is ticking. She's just hoping a miracle will happen and someone will call saying they've found her little friend.

Building management did not respond to our request for comment.

Meanwhile a search effort of the area is being organized. Those wanting to help can find more information at www.featheredfollies.org