do you ever think about this??

[goalerjones]

I just have to be careful not to kill them while I am doing this. I think the laws here might not put me in prison if that were to happen.

If accidents happen, at least the rose garden will look wonderful this time next spring!

 

[KatherineI]

I do worry about it, but at the same time, I can't live in fear.

About 2 weeks ago, a local bird store that not only sells babies, but boards and takes in consignments, had a boarder bird stolen in the middle of the day. In front of witnesses. Problem is that the "witnesses" were all special needs young adults who couldn't really tell the officers anything. The store was crowded and it was in a section not really visible to the front. If that had been my bird, I would have been devastated. The owner had never had that happen in over 30 years of business. The thieves came in with every intention of taking a bird, but without any definite bird picked out. They left cages open, birds in the wrong cages, birds out within the room and seemed to have taken the first bird that cooperated. It's heartbreaking.

For myself and my fids, I'm home most days. It's rare that I'm gone longer than two hours. I don't have a security system, however, I also live on a street where, while we don't all know each other, we know the cars of everyone here. If my car or scooter aren't here, and there's a strange car in my driveway or in front of my house, the neighbors are likely to know something is up.

For at night, or even when I'm home with just my daughter (as I will be for 2 months straight starting next week), I have Mathilde and Glamdring, aka a Smith & Wesson revolver and a Five-seveN, to keep me company I know how to use both, have decent accuracy and precision and sleep with them at my bedside. I never leave home without Mathilde either. It's the best I can do until we buy a home that I can get an alarm system for.

However, Sam is likely to try and rip the finger off anyone who attempts to touch him without his permission (other than me), Sugar runs in fear of anyone so she's the one I most worry about (and the one I'm most attached to, go figure) and Loki would do his best to get away by giving a nice GCC bite, that would likely have them drop him and then he's so small he knows of really great hiding places They'd give up on him quickly.

 

[triordan]

It does worry me, and I don't like leaving Rosie home alone. I always close my blinds at night when Rosie's cage is the most visible, and I avoid taking her around in our neighborhood but rather take her in a car to somewhere a couple miles away. A intimidating bird can easily be pulled into a pillowcase and stolen.

I actually saw a video of two people stealing cockatoos from a pet store that way.

We have a very aggressive german shepherd who keeps people away, so home alone doesnt worry me, but when I take Hahnzel with me I take him inside wherever I go.

I saw the same video, we have 2 german shepherds, best alarm system around!

 

[BillsBirds]

While all of these security measures sound great, MICROCHIPPING your bird will help in recovering your bird whether somehow stolen, or lost or escaped. It won't prevent a situation from occuring, but, it sure could help resolve it. Ask your vet, or SPCA, or Humane Society. It doesn't hurt the bird. And found birds can be microcip scanned at any vet. I worked with some folks reuniting lost pets from Hurricane Katrina. Microchipped animals were easiest to find the guardians. And there were several parrots; macaws, greys, 'toos, and 'zons. Some were chipped, and returned. Some were not, and wound up for adoption, after exhausting various options for finding their guardians. Think about it.

 

[Cami]

While all of these security measures sound great, MICROCHIPPING your bird will help in recovering your bird whether somehow stolen, or lost or escaped. It won't prevent a situation from occuring, but, it sure could help resolve it. Ask your vet, or SPCA, or Humane Society. It doesn't hurt the bird. And found birds can be microcip scanned at any vet. I worked with some folks reuniting lost pets from Hurricane Katrina. Microchipped animals were easiest to find the guardians. And there were several parrots; macaws, greys, 'toos, and 'zons. Some were chipped, and returned. Some were not, and wound up for adoption, after exhausting various options for finding their guardians. Think about it.

Well Said.

 

[Greenwing]

I have never had a problem and in the Summer month I leave there cages out in the screened lania.. For precautions I have a tall privacy fence and had the alarm company install beams across all outside walls of the screened lanai incase someone decides to cut screen to get in..I also use small sturdy padlocks on the cage doors and I have place rivets on all parts that can be dismantled for access( this is more to discourage and slow anyone down)..

I also have 2 Very big Rotweilers.. That have full access to house and Yard 24/7....

I'm pretty confident no one is going onto my property let alone my house without being noticed

 

[Shayne]

Could you put some sort of gps tracking device on a larger bird. It would have to be un removable to be of any use though.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Could you put some sort of gps tracking device on a larger bird. It would have to be un removable to be of any use though.

GPS needs to be relatively large to support a battery that will last. Telemetry has been used successfully on some wild parrots, such as the cape parrot.

This is a falconry leg mount costing $165, but the rest of the equipment
cost $1,000+ all together, and that's if your getting the cheaper telemetry equipment. You also need to be within range of your bird, and the batteries often only work around 5 days continuously.

There are also tail mounts and backpack mounts.

*edit*

I just found this telemetry that uses solar power, but it looks like it is glued to the back
http://www.microwavetelemetry.com/bird/solarPTT_18g.cfm

 

[Turquoise]

I live in a slowed down version of the world most of ya'll know. Around my parts animal stealing is not on the top of the list. They are big on stealing copper wiring right out of your house on the outside of it & even businesses. I do live in the country , but I have neighbors as well. Most folks who know I keep exotics of various kinds just think I'm crazy. They are not animal folks and have no desire to own one let alone steal one.

I also have dogs. Boy do I have dogs! And although they may not be the most vicious breed around, they sound like they would rip you to pieces if you were to try to enter my home while I was not there. It would take a brave sole to defy that wolf pack! And they stay inside when I am gone. Plus I live in Texas, pretty much 'Nuff Said', but I of course do own weapons & do know how to use them & will gladly do so if your brave enough to break into my house with me home!

 

[Customcasket]

I always worry somewhat, but then I think about who lives around me and it makes me feel a little better. I've got cops (husband and wife) who live in the house next to mine, a retired army whackjob who lives on the other side (he seriously dug trenches in his back yard and they're reinforced with wooden planks. I feel like I'm looking at WWI pictures when I glance into his yard...), and directly across the street is a very nosy elderly neighbor who does not hesitate to call the cops if somebody is in the neighborhood and doesn't belong (he's called the cops on the Jehovah's Witnesses more than once). It's a very quiet neighborhood. We had an incident about 15 years ago where some teens were playing with paintball guns that looked like real guns and immediately one of my neighbors called the cops who showed up in no time and had them on the ground. It scares me now because my town has cut how many cops are on at any one time. They did a news story a week or so ago about how there's only 4 cops on at any given time because of budget cuts. I live in a town of over 50,000 people. 4 on at a time is a scary number compared to how many people live in the town and how large the town actually is.

I always make sure the shade is down at night when the lights are on in my house at night. I'm sure EVERYBODY in the neighborhood knows I have birds. Those birds love me so much you can hear the "love" even when you're down the street. Our German Shepherd was put down 4 years ago. She was always a good indication as to whether somebody belonged in the neighborhood or didn't. The cop next door trains police dogs so he's always got at least 3 or 4 scary looking German Shepherds on his property at any given time. I do worry, but there isn't anything more I can do to prevent my guys from being taken. I don't know who would steal 2 small conures and 2 budgies, but there's all kinds of sick people in the world.

 

[Soyajam]

I worry about this actually...

In australia it seems Macaws are the highest profile birds... and since cockatoos and galahs are wild here I dont think there's a big black market for stolen ones.

I have heard a story of a shopkeeper who had people break in and steal macaws... and cut out their microchips. Horrific. Obviously not into avian safety....

I worry as I live in an apartment, which means if I take my bird out its likely people will see me. We have good doors with awesome locks and we are quite high up so they'd have to really want an eclectus to go that far.

The worry is there but really, why add another panic to the list? Shes not even home yet lol