SANTA CLARA — There are missing cows in Santa Clara – wooden ones.
Update Sept. 8, 3:30 p.m. Swiss Days cow has been found and returned.
Sometime over the weekend, one of two wooden cows placed in front of Melanie Slavens-Whiting’s vacation home, catacorner to Santa Clara Town Hall, went missing.
St. George News learned Wednesday afternoon and confirmed with city officials that a second wooden cow at a separate address has been taken farther up Santa Clara Drive, indicating a possible crime spree of confiscated cows.
Thursday afternoon, the wooden cow was found and returned.
Usually in the weeks before the annual Swiss Days in Santa Clara, Slavens-Whiting displays the mother cow Judy and her steer Junior and keeps them out facing Santa Clara Drive until Swiss Days has passed.
But for some unknown reason, bovine bandits took Junior away from his mama either late Saturday or early Sunday morning.
“It’s sad. I figure it’s a bunch of kids taking him out for target practice,” Slavens-Whiting said. “He’s a little one. It was just easy to put it in the back of a truck.”
For that reason, Slavens-Whiting doesn’t think Judy is in any danger. But she also said the absence of Judy’s son hadn’t gone unnoticed two weeks from the Sept. 22 start of the annual Swiss Days that celebrates the city’s heritage.
“It feels like the community has been harmed, not just me,” Slavens-Whiting said. “People love the cows. A lady said, ‘My son noticed him missing and that’s his favorite cow.’”
Both Junior and Judy are not much more than timber and paint. Both were painted to look like they were wearing swim gear.
Junior is around 2 ½ feet in height wearing yellow swim trunks with flowers and rainbow floaties.
Whittling said it took days of work and $200 of materials to make Junior.
“I stenciled all the flowers,” she said. “I wanted them to look like real swim trunks.”
The rainbow nature of the floaties has led some to tell Whittling that there may be a more ulterior motive than just a prank by the perpetrators.
“Someone mentioned this may be a hate crime because he was wearing rainbow floaties,” Slavens-Whiting said of rainbows sometimes identified with the LGBTQ community. “I don’t think that.”
The cow creator said she has spoken with Santa Clara-Ivins Police and they thought they had a way to catch the thieves in the act through security cameras at Santa Clara Town Hall just across the street. Alas, police found a tree blocked the video of who took the cow or any possible getaway vehicle.
Slavens-Whiting said the steer does have a QR code on it that is linked to her contact information.
“The city asked if I want to press charges,” Slavens-Whiting said. “That’s not necessary.”
But that doesn’t mean she isn’t putting up any effort to reunite with Junior. Slavens-Whiting is offering a $50 ransom to anyone who returns Junior in any condition, no questions asked.
“It’s kind of silly to call it a ransom, but he was taken,” she said, noting that while she could build another cow, she would rather get Junior back. “We wouldn’t make another Junior. To me, he’s not replaceable.
“It’s not going to kill anyone, but this might have just been done by kids taking advantage of the situation and not thinking how their action is going to affect other people,” she added. “Someone knows where he is. Even if he’s destroyed, bring him back. We just want closure.”
Closure came Thursday afternoon after Slavens-Whiting heard from two girls who said they found Junior in pieces in a nearby field while taking their dog for a walk.
But in reality, other than being a little bruised, Junior is intact — safe and sound back in his corral.
“He is tattered up a bit and missing his floaties. But we got him back. It does look like he spent some time outside in some dirt,” Slavens-Whiting said. “Just needs a little wipe down and some new floaties.”
As for the ransom, Slavens-Whiting said she offered but it was refused.
“I did not assume that they took him,” she said. “I gave them the benefit of the doubt.””
As for the second missing cow, city officials say it was also a smaller cow like Junior, though unrelated, put up for Swiss Days that was taken farther up the block. Residents are asked to reach out to the city or to the Santa Clara-Ivins Police Department.
Or Slavens-Whiting said there are two sleuths who might help out on the case.
“I told the girls to keep an eye out and an ear to the ground for the other lady’s cow.”
Photo Gallery
Undated picture of Junior the calf, a Santa Clara Swiss Days decoration, whose owner said has been stolen, Santa Clara, Utah | Photo courtesy Melanie Slavens-Whiting, St. George News Junior the calf, foreground, back with his mom Judy the cow after being found, Santa Clara, Utah, Sept. 9, 2022 | Photo courtesy Melanie Slavens-Whiting, St. George News Undated picture of Junior the calf (right) and Judy the cow, Santa Clara Swiss Days decorations, with Santa Clara Town Hall in the background, Santa Clara, Utah | Photo courtesy Melanie Slavens-Whiting, St. George News Undated picture of Junior the calf, a Santa Clara Swiss Days decoration, whose owner said has been stolen, Santa Clara, Utah | Photo courtesy Melanie Slavens-Whiting, St. George News Undated picture of Junior the calf (left) and Judy the cow, Santa Clara Swiss Days decorations,, Santa Clara, Utah | Photo courtesy Melanie Slavens-Whiting, St. George News In an undated picture, Melanie Whitling's granddaughter rides atop Junior the calf, a Santa Clara Swiss Days decoration, Santa Clara, Utah | Photo courtesy Melanie Slavens-Whiting, St. George News
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