Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Saturday, May 10, 2008

No bull: Couple asks for return of statue

By ANNE JUNGEN / La Crosse Tribune

ONALASKA, Wis. — What a bunch of bull.

A 5-foot-tall, 7-foot-long, faded black Angus bull with “angry eyes” has wandered away from Merlin and Carol Huber’s yard at 200 S. 10th Ave., his comfy home of 30 years. It’s an impressive feat, given that he’s fiberglass.

“That’s our baby. It was like a family pet,” said Carol, 70. “We miss him. We’re shaking our heads in disbelief.”

Carol and MerlinHuber stand by the spot they had a Bull statue in their yard now the bull is missing. Dick Riniker photo

The unnamed bull is an identifying landmark for the Huber house. He’s posed patiently for countless photos with grandchildren and neighborhood kids, who also use him as a jungle gym because of his natural gentleness.

“We mowed around him for many years,” Carol said.

The bull moved into the Hubers’ yard in the mid-1970s when he was given to them in lieu of a month’s rent — $285 — from a friend and tenant of their former North Side La Crosse warehouse. The tenant was “down and out of luck” in his business making the fiberglass figures, Carol said.

Merlin, now 77, agreed to accept the Angus.

“He’s an odd rod,” Carol said of her husband. “He thought it would be cool and it was a way of helping out the gentleman.”

Carol was making the bed last Thursday morning when she looked out the window and saw the empty spot where the bull once stood. She initially thought Merlin lent it to one of their children or a friend.

Merlin was in disbelief when the couple learned the bull was stolen, Carol said.

She can’t pinpoint exactly when the bull was stolen, but knows it was taken at night. Because he can’t walk, Carol estimates it would have taken two or three people to load him into a large truck.

The bull has never been vandalized and has no known enemies, so identifying a suspect isn’t easy.

Carol doesn’t believe their bull has moved on to greener pastures. She thinks he has been “smashed to bits,” but remains hopeful and filed a police report. She placed a classified advertisement Wednesday in the Tribune.

Anyone with information about the theft should call the Onalaska Police Department at (608) 781-9550 or the Hubers at (608) 781-3390. A $200 reward is being offered for information leading to the bull’s safe return and arrest of his kidnapper.

Anne Jungen can be reached at (608) 791-8220 or ajungen@lacrossetribune.com.