CLEVELAND -- Laura Cowan tells 3News she's been calling her beloved pet parakeet Precious' name since she escaped last Friday.
"I was cleaning her cage; I took a part of her cage outside to dry," Cowan says. "I opened the door to go back in, and Precious flew right by me, full speed. And next thing, she flew straight over to the neighbor's tree."
The bird's been hiding out back in the trees ever since, last spotted on Labor Day. The bird was gifted to Cowan 5 years ago from her friend Michelle Knight, also known as Lily Rose Lee.
"Powerful from one survivor to another," Cowan told 3News. "She (Lily) has many birds, and she gave us Precious, and I feel like I let her down, you know?"
Cowan says Lee found a pet search and rescue service on social media. Cowan sent the company a $100 deposit through Apple Cash to an email on Tuesday, and workers told her they would come to her home that day with equipment and rescue the bird.
She waited for hours, but the so-called pet detectives never showed up.
"All of a sudden, they sent a text, and it stated that their vehicle broke down, they had a flat tire, and they stated that, 'Well, if you could send us $110, and then we'll reimburse you when we get there,'" Cowan explained. "Michelle said, 'Oh no, we've been scammed.'"
They tried reaching back out to the company, but tell 3News they were blocked on Messenger and no one has responded to their emails.
"If you're out there and you're listening, understand how painful it is for a trauma survivor to lose her companion," Lee said, "and by you sitting there telling her, 'Oh, we're going to get your angel out of the tree, we're going to do this, we're going to do that,' but then you never show."
Cowan filed a report with Cleveland police and has requested a refund with Apple Cash. She's sharing this story in the hopes that no one gets scammed, but right now, Precious the parakeet is still missing, believed to be in the tree in her backyard. Cowan is offering a cash reward for the bird's safe return.