Henry the pig stolen from the Unicorn Pub

Henry the Pig has been pilfered.

Staff at the Unicorn Pub in the 200 block of Eighth Avenue S.W. are pleading for the return of their beloved pig after someone stole the fibreglass swine from the front door.

"Early Saturday morning someone decided to pick it up and run out the door with it," said Mel Lafleur, corporate chef at the Unicorn.

Surveillance video shows a heavy-set man wearing light-coloured shorts, a T-shirt and a baseball cap standing near Henry. He then sits on the pig for a short time before standing up as two people, a man and a woman who appear to be with him, walk out the door.

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The man then picks up Henry measuring about four feet long and two feet high and walks out behind them.

"What are you going to do with it?" said Lafleur.

"How did you get it home? Why did you want to take it? It's just kind of a funny story, there's been a lot of these things happening lately with people taking things from restaurants and places. It would be interesting to find out why people feel the need to take these things."

A man was caught on surveillance cameras earlier this month stealing a pair of Japanese maple trees from in front of the Royale Brasseriewhile walking his dog in the early morning hours along 17th Avenue.

Ryan Duguay was later arrested and pleaded guilty.

Henry was given his name as the space was formerly the King Henry the Eighth Pub before becoming the Libertine, which combined with the Unicorn and Below Deck to become the Unicorn "superpub" last year.

This isn't the first time Henry has gone missing.

"He's been taken two times," said Lafleur.

"So maybe he'll make his way home. He's just one of those things we've had around since we opened so it would be nice to have him back."

General manager Kevin Warner wrote a message tothe thief saying hejust wants Henry back.

"Henry is a good soul and only ever wanted to greet people as they came in the door," the message reads.

"We want to reach out to your conscience, you have taken a mainstay of our bar, you have kidnapped an employee, a member of the Unicorn family.We only want Henry backno hard feelings just bring our little porker back."

Calgary police said they are investigating the theft and anyone with information is asked to call the non-emergency line at 403-266-1234.