Cow stolen from billboard is found in Chesapeake woods

Cow stolen from billboard is found in Chesapeake woods</B>
By JOANNE KIMBERLIN, [font=ms sans serif,arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=-2]The Virginian-Pilot
© October 12, 2005
Last updated: 10:58 PM
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http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=93540&ran=148355


Tow truck driver Billy Adams of Chesapeake was hired to pick up the cow stolen off a Chick-fil-A billboard. PHOTO COURTESY OF TED CHERRY

CHESAPEAKE — They found the beef.
A 6-foot tall Chick-fil-A cow stolen from an Interstate 464 billboard last week has turned up more than a mile east of the sign. Police say a tipster spotted the black-and-white fiberglass cow – valued at $3,200 – while heading out for a game of paintball in a patch of woods off Stuben Street in northern Chesapeake. The cow was l ying on its side behind a large oak tree. It appeared to be unharmed.

“The cow is in impound,” Chick-fil-A’s Mark Baldwin said before erupting into a chuckle.

“I can’t help it,” he said. “I laugh every time I say that.”

Chick-fil-A can spring its cow as soon as the company forks over a $33 wrecker charge. Tow-truck driver Billy Adams was called out by police Saturday to round up the cow. Adams and a Chesapeake police officer teamed up to tote the cow about 25 yards out of the woods and up onto Adam’s flatbed.

“I can tell you one thing,” Adams said. “Whoever stole it didn’t do it by themselves. That thing is pretty heavy.”

Adams actually got off easy. Earlier reports had the cow tipping the scales at 500 pounds – information that came from Chick-fil-A’s “moo manifesto,” an in-house character profile designed to guide the marketing campaign. On Tuesday, Chick-fil-A said the cows weigh closer to 150 pounds.

Police did not identify the tipster, saying they’ll share that information with Chick-fil-A so the company can make good on its promise of a year’s worth of free chicken sandwiches for information leading to the cow’s safe return.

The tipster, police spokeswoman Christi Golden said, “made it clear” that he wants the reward.

Cow-snatching pranks have been pulled in other areas, but this is the first in Hampton Roads. Police are taking the theft seriously – it’s a felony – but say the chances of retracing the cow’s tracks aren’t good.

“Unless we get a lead ...” Golden said.

Odds are the job was pulled by amateurs, but industrious ones. The cow was anchored on a lighted, billboard catwalk 50 feet off the ground.





Reach Joanne Kimberlin at (757) 446-2338 or joanne.kimberlin@pilotonline.com.
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This reminds me of a stunt my little brother pulled when he was about 15.

Dad had butchered a hog and my brother and friends took the head and outer hide. They placed it over a 50 gal. oil drum and set it just far enough in the woods off the road that it could be seen but not well enough anyone would know it wasn't a hog.
That night he and his friends sat up listening to pings as all the good ole country boys shot at it. When it never fell, several walked up to it and laughed then got back in their trucks to leave it for the next "sucker".
The whole neighborhood got a good laugh out of it. Even the ones that shot at it.

Too funny! I always wanted one of those cows!!!