All smiles: Mona Lisa found

Published 9:29 pm Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Mona Lisa the cow is finally getting ready to head home after a local farmer found her 10 days after she escaped from her Hosier Road farm.

“Thank goodness for good neighbors,” Nichole Stewart, the cow’s owner, wrote in an email. “I am so thankful to all the people who offered help these last 10 days. So many people were instrumental in getting this cow contained, and I feel so blessed to have so many great people ready to help at a moment’s notice.”

Mona Lisa the cow will return home soon, owner Nichole Stewart said. She was found off White Marsh Road after about 10 days on the lam. Her owners were concerned because of the cold weather and because Mona Lisa is pregnant.

Mona Lisa the cow will return home soon, owner Nichole Stewart said. She was found off White Marsh Road after about 10 days on the lam. Her owners were concerned because of the cold weather and because Mona Lisa is pregnant.

Mona Lisa, a pregnant 3-year-old Guernsey, broke out of the fence at the Stewarts’ Hosier Road farm on Jan. 25, just hours after arriving there after the Stewarts purchased her.

Email newsletter signup

Tracks in the snow on White Marsh Road were the only sign of her until Tuesday, when Brian Stewart got a call from Billy Hunter, a cattle farmer on White Marsh Road. Hunter had spotted Mona Lisa in the 1600 block of White Marsh Road and was trying to get her into his pasture.

Nichole Stewart put her children into the car and rushed over there in an attempt to help.

After the cow darted into and out of the woods several times and an Animal Control officer arrived to help, Hunter broke a hole in his fence and managed to coax Mona Lisa through it, Stewart said.

He then hitched a ride back to his truck and went home to get the supplies he needed to repair his fence.

“I feel so bad that he had to break and then repair his fence because of our crazy cow,” Stewart wrote. “I cannot thank Billie enough for all his help.”

Stewart said they will wait for a dry day to pick Mona Lisa up from Hunter’s farm. The cow seems fine and doesn’t have any major wounds, she added. The veterinarian will visit soon to check her out.