ESCONDIDO, Calif —
Escondido police responded to a unique scene early Sunday morning after receiving reports of two cows crossing a neighborhood street.
The call came in just before 3 a.m. near the 600 block of Hidden Trails Road in a newer housing development in the area. Residents reported being awoken by strange sounds before discovering the large animals.
Upon arrival, police located two cows of unknown origin and observed the creatures standing in a yard munching on plants.
The San Diego Humane Society was called to provide assistance. Officers wrote in their report that humane society personnel arrived to help “moo-ve the cows.”
"With this job, we never know one day to the next what you're gonna get,” said Sgt. Laurel Monreal from the San Diego Humane Society's Law Enforcement Division.
After getting a call from Escondido police, Monreal got her trailer and headed to the neighborhood.
"I gave the officers a little lesson on how to move cattle and how to behave,” said Monreal.
With the help of several officers and a good Samaritan. they were able to load up the steers and take them to Humane Society in Escondido.
While the cows were now safe, one question remained: Where did they come from?
The mystery was solved early Monday morning when Monreal says the owner called police letting them know vandals had cut her gate open and two of her beloved cows were missing.
"She's got a lot of money invested in these cattle and she cares about them,” said Moneal. “She was just a little bit beside herself but felt much better once she knew we had them here.”
Monday afternoon, Monreal and her team carefully wrangled the steers into a trailer to return them home.
"This is rather unique,” said Monreal. “Not too many times do we get cattle called but it all worked out.”
