Thieves recently hit La Jolla, cownapping Cow Parade’s “Werc Cow.” Bandits stole Girard Avenue’s newest art addition sometime between Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26, according to shop owners who reported the missing bovine. “I came into work Monday to do some office work and noticed it was gone,” said Tommy Aucoin, owner of Atelier Aucoin Salon and Academy at 7535 Girard Ave., in front of which the Werc Cow had grazed. “I called my wife and she said maybe they brought it to Artwalk, San Diego’s outdoor art show in Little Italy. But then when it didn’t come back on Tuesday, we called Cow-Parade.” “I said, ‘Oh no, cow rustling in La Jolla,’” Aucoin added. According to Aucoin, the life-size cow was outside his salon Saturday but he noticed it was missing after he arrived at the salon Monday around noon, he said. “It’s just a shame because the big loser is Children’s Hospital,” Aucoin said. CowParade La Jolla sprinkled about 33 head of cattle — painted by local artists for charity — throughout La Jolla and UTC, each worth several thousand dollars, according to CowParade spokesman Michael Kinsman. “This is ‘Grand Theft Cow,’” Kinsman said. “It will probably auction between $5,000 and $10,000 — that’s the value of the cow.” Each cow is scheduled to sell during a July 11 auction at the Robert Paine Scripps Forum, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, in an effort to raise funds for Children’s Hospital. “We want our cow back unharmed,” Kinsman said. “We’re attached to these cows, believe it or not.” According to Kinsman, San Diego artist Werc Alvarez — a popular graffiti artist — painted the multi colored Werc Cow. “I had to call the artist and tell him,” Kinsman said. Meanwhile, police took photos of the crime scene, attaching a case number to the incident, Kinsman said. But CowParade officials said they are focused on getting the cow back, setting up a hotline to ask the public to help find the bovine unharmed. “It was dark at night,” Kinsman said. “They unbolted it and just carted it off.” CowParade officials said the thieves haven’t made any demands for the cow’s safe return. “We’re talking about offering a reward. We want it back any way we can,” Kinsman said. Anyone with information about the stolen cow should call the CowParade hotline, (619) 881-3371, or the San Diego Police Department, (619) 531-2000.