I'm so sorry. Someone stole my neighbor's 3ft tall concrete rabbit several years ago. It was a gift also.

Oh, Donna...how awful.

-Babka

That is so sad. I feel for you. What nerve this person or persons had!

sorry for your loss. When I read the title, I thought it was going to be a sad story of voles eating your hosta roots. been there...

Oh I am so sorry. I've heard about things like that happening around here as well. One of my plant freak friends says someone came and took 3 huge pots full of hostas right off his front yard a couple weeks ago. Terrible shame.

Post it on Facebook if you’re on it. Hopefully the culprit will have a change of heart or at least be too ashamed to risk putting it in their own garden.

This is so awful! I feel for you!! I am attached to things like that because they hold so memories! Can't see how someone can find joy in something stolen

Just awful!

So sorry to hear this. Welcome to my world, where stuff can get stolen or destroyed at any time. A few years ago, someone stole a beautiful ROCK I had placed in my garden.

I'm so sorry..we've had garden thefts (and general theft) in our neighborhood too..is there a security camera?..love it when thieves get caught..

Post on Nextdoor also.

Someone walked away with my rotating compost bin stand last year. Seriously, full of compost too...

Because of the weight of this teddy bear, there must have been some prior thought involved in order to steal it. Other than residents, who would walk by this garden? I would be inclined to post a note at the exact location of the missing bear. It might read something like this: "Absolutely heartbroken. Concrete bear stolen from this exact spot. It had extreme sentimental value. Please return!"

Good idea newhostalady. It's just so sad when it has all that sentimental quality.

Oh, Donna how sad and awful! I am so sorry this happened to you. Hoping it's a stupid prank. Hurting with you...

This is just baffling. I live in a community of elderly adults. It would take considerable strength to carry it to the nearest street. About 10 years ago a "security" light was installed near the top of my unit, but it lights up my garden at night. It rained most of the day and into the night yesterday. Years ago tall fencing was erected behind the community because people were using Hershey Run as a walk through and there were robberies and vandalism in the community at the time. This robbery had to be planned as you said newhostalady.. I checked the woods behind the path and drove around the streets this morning to no avail.

I am having a problem with Facebook. I'm unable to like or comment on a post. I'm checking out Utube to see how to fix the problem.

So sorry to hear about your beloved treasure! Hopefully, you will find the thief that did this!

I'm sorry, DD. #@&*%!@ thieves. I hate thieves! Hope you get it back, somehow. I like Newhostalady's idea, though.

So very sorry this happened to you. It's obvious how special your garden is to you. The fact that it was your son's gift, makes it even more deplorable.

Let's hope they got tired carrying it and left it nearby, or maybe another resident saw something. Best wishes!!

My first thought would have been someone drank too much or a prank and I also would have looked for it. But as you did it seems to have been planned. It's sad that is has been a gift from your son. I have lost a small buddha, nothing expensive, a few years ago and that really made me angry.

I also had trouble posting on facebook on the American Hosta Society page a few days ago, but it works now. I even remember Carol posting that she is showing pictures because no one else did...Might have been a problem on their page only...

So sorry to hear. I hate thieves!

That's awful, what I don't understand is what the thief intends to do with it. I wouldn't think he'd dare to display it anywhere. I sometimes think it may happen to me, I have 6 large concrete statues in my garden. I also quite often leave a lot of tools and supplies outside overnight.

I'm so sorry about this. I can understand why you are heartbroken because of the connection to your son, and it must feel like an incredible violation. Some people are just rotten. I do like the sign idea. Maybe there is a slim chance someone would feel bad enough and put it back. Can't hurt to try. I'm sorry.

So sorry. The lack of respect and common decency is just baffling.

So sorry about your missing bear. I hope whoever took it has a very bad back and that you get your bear back!

People can be rotten. When we lived in town someone took out Christmas light bulbs and smashed them on the sidewalk every night.

I'm so sorry that someone took your treasured garden bear. What kind of person does such a thing!

Oh Donna I am so sorry this happened, I would be heartbroken too! You know what they say about karma but in this case it is a bear and I hope its claws come out. Just awful.

So sorry this happened to you , Donna. It’s probably been gifted to someone’s girlfriend. At least it wasn’t just vandalized.

The area looks pretty private so thief was very bold to get in there and walk away with bear. Thief knew his way to the bear.

Just plain rude!!! Some people do not have a conscience. Arghhh!!! We all have stories of something that was taken from us that had more sentimental value than monetary. I do believe that maybe by letting the general population around you know of the lost bear that you may get it back.

Donna, what a rotten thing for someone to do! Maybe it was some obnoxious teens visiting grandparents over the Memorial Day weekend? I wouldn't want to think it could be anyone living in your 55 and over community.

I had a neighbor at my old house whose bench was stolen right off her front porch. She considered it gone until a few weeks later she walked outside and there it was, back on the porch. She moved it to the backyard after that. I really hope your cute bear will find its way back, too. What is with people?!?

Here is one too... I have a neighbor behind my yard (backyard to backyard) his son stole a glass torch from us. Meant a lot for us as we just came to the US and bought it after we had closed on our first house. On top of that they painted a Swastica (Hitler cross) on our tress. The father is a lawyer ..... I guess what they meant to say was;

welcome to the neighborhood!

Sometimes it seems like the world is just upside-down. Sorry to hear about both of these despicable acts (Donna and Claudia). The garden is supposed to be where we escape from all that stuff happening "out there."

I agree with miles.

Me too!!!

Hello Miles, I was extremely hurt and upset and wanted to file it. My husband disagreed - he didn’t want more tension. The head of the neighborhood told me to report and so I did.

Thenpolicw officer who took the report asked me “why are you so offended my that? Are you Jewish?”

I looked at him and said no Iam German and didn’t know what to else to say. I wanted to say everybody in their right mind would be offended by that and for what horrible things it stands stands for.

they came out and took pictures. Of course that’s when the neighbor found out I had filed and he sent me nasty email saying “ he can’t believe I called the Gestapo on him and if I want I could build a wall that’s what Germans do and he would call immigration to see if Iam even legal in the US. That’s where my husband stepped in.

I forwarded all those emails to the police, they where not happy being called “gestapo”. the case was handed over to a special unit and for about 6 months we had cameras provided my the police in my yard. To make sure he wouldn’t cross angain and damage or steal more things form us.

yeah... not nice but it was the first time in 16 years I live in the USA I have experienced something like this.

Die Welt wird verrückt......

I had a statue of St. Francis go missing last year. It has been replaced with a statue of Jesus. So far the Jesus statue has not gone missing.

Cheers,

Werner