Crime Fighting Macaw

[Kevin]

A pet bird in Lycoming County means business when it comes to fighting crime. The macaw bit a man who broke into the bird's Williamsport home.

Sunshine's owner thinks the bandit wasn't only after money, he was after Sunshine but the colorful bird had other plans.

"It looked like a massacre, looked like someone had taken a pillow, an old feather pillow and just ripped it apart," owner James Erb said of his home after the breakin.

Investigators said Erb and Sunshine were the victims of a weekend burglary. They said when Michael Deeter, 44, broke into the place on Pine Street, he stole money, a camcorder and even tried to pet or pick up the five year old bird.

"So the first thing he probably did was try to be friendly, certainly not harmful," Erb said. He thinks the otherwise talkative Sunshine got nasty when the burglar tried to pet or take him.

"If you could have seen the array of feather all the way down the hallway, from the back door into here, and the trail of blood, I was petrified. The one thing about birds if they bit into you and they don't want to let go, they clamp. I mean it's like a vice grip, it's locked," the pet owner explained.

Investigators said Sunshine ripped open Deeter's hand, arm and head.

Officers said the burglar ran around the apartment, plucking the bird's feathers, doing anything he could to loosen Sunshine's fierce grip.

"He did his job. He made sure nothing happened to him," Erb added.

In the meantime, he is giving his buddy some extra attention, doing the best he can to get Sunshine back to some brighter days. He said Sunshine will recover and the feathers will grow again.

Michael Deeter is still locked up on theft and burglary charges.

[Copper]

This is where we hang the sign that says
Don't worry about the dog, BEWARE of the bird.

[featherfanatics]

Originally Posted by Copper

This is where we hang the sign that says
Don't worry about the dog, BEWARE of the bird.

I need one of those signs!

[dani_L]

me too!!
and what about the free intruder alarm services that the birds offer?
can be heard throughout the whole neighbourhood

[Copper]

Next time I go into town to a mall, think I'm going to get that printed on a t-shirt with a pic on the front of my GW.... and that saying on the back.
My little conure knows the sounds of the family vehicles, and he always alerts once when it's family that pulls in. If it's a stranger, he keeps up, and the dogs take their que from him and chime in.
Not too much gets by the flock. Here we get a discount on our insurance for having the place wired for security. We should have a discount for the origional First Alert instead!