No Bull! Officers Discover Stolen Calf During Traffic Stop In Riverside

RIVERSIDE (CBSLA.com) — Officers making a traffic stop in Riverside were surprised to find a baby cow in the vehicle.

The officers had no "udder" choice but to arrest the two men who could not provide any documentation for the calf, according to John Welsh of Riverside County Animal Services.

Animal services staff nicknamed the 3-day-old cow Shorty and are looking for her owner.

The bizarre discovery happened at Arlington and Norwood avenues at around 2 a.m. Thursday.

Police on a routine patrol stopped two men who they said looked suspicious. It turns out one of them had an outstanding warrant.

When officers looked in the vehicle they found Shorty.

"It's highly suspicious that you would be transporting the calf. If you bought it legally, you would be transporting it in a trailer," Welsh said.

He said Shorty is in good health.

Officials are searching for her owner, but that's been made more difficult since they say the thieves forcefully removed the ID tags that were in the calf's ears.

"We definitely need the public's help to kind of spread the word. Maybe the person who owns this calf doesn't realize it's been taken off their dairy farm," Welsh said.

Shorty is being cared for at a dairy farm in Ontario. The owner says he'll make sure she stays healthy until someone comes forward to claim the animal and moo-ve her back home.