A parrot earned its owner a £500 reward after helping snare a burglar with its noisy squawks.
Charlie the orange-winged Amazon parrot alerted Emma Dazeley, 41, during Jake Fletcher's break-in.
While jailing the 24-year-old for two years a judge praised Emma for following and tackling him.
She told today how she had planned to lavish some of the cash on Charlie - until he flew off.
The bird is believed to have been living wild after disappearing several weeks ago.
Emma said: "I was going to give his some cuttlefish - that's his favourite.
You can get a lot of that for £500.
"But I'm sorry to say that he's not here anymore. He's been gone for weeks now and I really miss him.
"He loved a good squawk and he did the trick that night when the burglar came.
"I know that alerted me to what was going on and that led to him being arrested."
Fletcher entered Emma's home in Monmouth, South Wales, in the middle of the night after raiding two other properties on the same street.
Charlie squawks allowed her to confront the burglar.
Prosecutor Matthew Roberts said: “He pushed past her and ran out of the back door.
“He fled and she pursued him. He tried to scale a fence but she tried to pull him down."
Cardiff Crown Court heard Fletcher dropped a stolen rucksack along with video games, a bottle of prosecco and a bottle of gin before fleeing the scene.
The crook,of Newport, South Wales, has now admitted carrying out the three burglaries on June 20 last year.
Jailing him Judge Richard Williams said: "The victim showed considerable determination and courage. She is commended for her actions and will receive a £500 award.”
But Emma says all she really wants is her beloved pet back.
Appealing for help she said: "I wish someone can find him and bring him back to me.
"I hope that with some publicity over his actions might help - maybe somebody is looking after him somewhere and bring him back to me.
"He's my hero and I want him back."
