First it was the tale of the stolen bronze pig statue, now cops are investigating the theft of a beloved life-sized, fiberglass cow. What’s worse, money raised from the auction of the cow was supposed to help sick children.
The cow is part of CowParade La Jolla, a public art project comprised of nearly 40 cows designed and painted by local artists.
The cow was going to be auctioned to benefit Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego and Zoological Society of San Diego on July 11 and was estimated to raise between $5,000 and $10,000 at auction.
“Unfortunately, these thieves have not just stolen a fiberglass cow,” Bill Trumpfheller, president of CowParade La Jolla said. “They are also taking money right out of the hands of two worthy organizations.”
The “Werc Cow,” designed and painted by San Diego artist Werc Alvarez, was disconnected from the steel plates attached to its base and removed from 7535 Girard Ave. in La Jolla, officials from the organization said.
“We hope that everyone will help us find this stolen cow, Trumpfheller said. “It is a difficult economic climate to raise money for nonprofit organizations and that makes this work of art even more valuable to our charitable partners.”
CowParade La Jolla has 33 cows on sidewalks and plazas in downtown La Jolla, as well as five at the Westfield UTC shopping center and one at Rady Children’s Hospital.
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Anyone with information regarding the stolen cow is encouraged leave a message on the CowParade La Jolla hotline at (619) 881-3371 or contact the San Diego Police Department at (619) 531-2000.
The rest of the cows will be auctioned July 11 at the Robert Paine Scripps Forum at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
