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Search For Missing Emu Named 'Dork' Is Rallying Point For Minn. Community

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Tom Berry cruises around Becker checking up on sightings of his missing pet emu, Dork.

Dork sightings are now being documented on social media. The animal has his own Facebook page, and more than 1,000 people are following it.

Dork The Emu
(credit: CBS)

"It's really taken on a life of its own," said Becker Police Chief Brent Baloun. "It's kind of a rallying point for the community."

The chief says the community is offering lots of support.

Owners of Clearwater Hardware and Bait sell shirts they hope will raise awareness about the missing bird.

Even the local newspaper is using Dork to sell advertising.

But with cold weather approaching, Berry is concerned for his pet.

"The green is going away, the corn in the field is gone or its dried up, so he's getting hungry," Berry said.

He tells people who see Dork to try and get him in a fenced-in area.

"You take like an ice cream bucket with some dry food in it and rattle it and set it down and see if you can attract him," Berry said. "And as soon as he starts repeating that and coming back, we got him...and then the old boys days of wandering around are done."

Berry's daughter, Kim, says Dork is fast, and many who approach him are amazed at how quickly he runs away.

Maybe he is searching for something no one around Becker can give him.

"Geek and Dork were male and female, and Geek died three years or so ago, so he is on his own now," Berry said. "He's a bachelor, he's looking for a female emu."

What many do know is the search for Dork won't stop until he is reunited with the people who miss him most.

Berry says Dork was raised in Minnesota and is used to the cold. He will eat snow for water then the only issue is food.

If you see Dork, take a picture and call Becker police.

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