Canadian plumber rescues pair of parrots from highway

TORONTO, Oct. 4 (UPI) -- A plumber in Canada made an unexpected stop on the way to a job when he spotted a pair of parrots in the road.

Robert Plantic of Mr. Rooter Plumbing nearly ran over the Cinnamon Conure parrots while driving on Don Valley Parkway when he decided to stop and rescue the birds.

"I didn't know what to do," he said. "I knew they would be killed if they were left there. I had calls to do so I just picked them up and transported them to a nearby veterinary clinic for evaluation."

The veterinarian informed Plantic the parrots had been clipped and tagged, which indicated they were kept as pets.

After 10 days of releasing information to the public in hopes of finding the birds' owners, the veterinary clinic was unsuccessful and offered the parrots to Plantic, who gladly took them in.

"From day one I wanted to adopt them so I kept calling to check if anyone had claimed the birds," he said. "Finally, the clinic called and told me that I could have them because the owners couldn't be found."

Mr. Rooter Plumbing's New York office has since offered to take the parrots in as mascots.

"We often encounter unusual circumstances like this," President Derek Moreland said. "My family owns three dogs and we understand that pets are family. Our technicians are not just about the plumbing jobs. We know that there could be someone out there who lost these two beautiful parrots and want them returned. However, if not, we'll gladly care for them."