8 cows reported stolen

By Alexis Stevens

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Have you heard about the missing herd? It's not a joke.

Someone stole eight cows from a Troup County farm Monday morning, and deputies in the west Georgia county are investigating the missing bovines.

"We're hoping maybe someone has seen the cows," Sgt. Chad Mann told the AJC.

A witness reported seeing a gold, newer model Chevy pick-up truck in an adjacent pasture, pulling a black cattle trailer on Whitesville Road, police said. But so far, neither the trailer nor the cows have been located.

Some of the missing cows may have been pregnant, making them worth more, police said.

Animal thefts are not very common, even in a more rural county such as Troup, Mann said. It takes planning and the right equipment, such as a trailer, a large truck, and a place to put the cows.

"Usually, it is the equipment that goes missing," Mann said.

Anyone with information about the missing animals is asked to contact the Troup County Crime Stoppers hotline at 706-812-1000....at least until the cows come home.