‘Hail Hitler,’ swastika scrawled on one of SLO’s CowParade sculptures

Nazi graffiti appeared on one of the colorful cow sculptures that was part of CowParade SLO.

The sculpture, “Moo with a View,” which is perched atop Islay Hill, was vandalized with a swastika and the words “Hail Hitler” written on one of its rear legs.

The Tribune was alerted to the graffiti when a man named Mathieu De Schutter posted a photo of it to Facebook on Jan. 31. De Schutter has not responded to a request for comment.

According to CowParade coordinator Tom Halen, the graffiti was removed over the weekend by La Lomita Ranch, which owns the statue. The ranch will finish touching up the paint sometime this week, Halen said.

CowParade SLO ran from Sept. 16, 2016, through April 30, 2017. During that time, 101 colorful cow sculptures popped up throughout San Luis Obispo County, delighting locals and tourists alike. After the exhibit ended, the cows were auctioned off for charity.

This story was originally published February 5, 2018 at 11:14 AM with the headline "‘Hail Hitler,’ swastika scrawled on one of SLO’s CowParade sculptures."