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To report a case of equine abuse, call the Monday
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Please read
important information regarding stolen horses in
Georgia. NetPosse.com/Stolen Horse International, Inc. PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information, contact: Debi Metcalfe PO Box 1341, Shelby, NC 28151 704-484-2165 Email: idahonc@aol.com, stolenhorse@netposse.com, www.netposse.com
Devil’s Down in Georgia … Looking for Horses to Steal
July 16, 2007 – Shelby, NC – Stolen Horse International, aka NetPosse.com, has been working nonstop the last few weeks. It seems as though horse theft is hotter than ever, and the week of July Fourth was the kickoff.
And nowhere does it seem to be hotter than in the state of Georgia. In May, SHI’s volunteer network, NetPosse, was focused on the state of Oklahoma where a horse theft ring had been unearthed and a number of stolen horses recovered. In fact, the success stories continue to roll in, and we expect more from that area soon.
In the meantime, people are asking – what’s going on in Georgia?
Charlie Daniels needs to rewrite his infamous song, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” Seems right now, the devil and his cohorts are looking for horses, not souls, to steal.
Actually the years 2006 and 2007 started off with horse thefts in Georgia. In 2006, NetPosse processed the report for a paint mare named Scout, and after working through the weekend to send out the information, Debi Metcalfe, founder of SHI, received a call about 48 hours later stating Scout was home. Her mane had been cut and shoe polish had been used to cover some of her markings, but she was safe.
Then this past January, another Georgia horse theft was reported. Empty Glass, a breeding stock paint gelding, had vanished from his pasture. Three days later, he was found not far from home. A suspect was arrested and charged.
Though not a good way to welcome in the New Year, these Georgia thefts have happy and successful endings. Now NetPosse volunteers are working diligently for other victims and hoping for the same conclusions.
On July 1, 2007, a 9-month-old bay filly disappeared from her pasture in Screven County. Her owners recently witnessed a large, black SUV near their property on more than one occasion. Could this be a clue in her theft? Evidence shows this filly did not go willingly. Where is she now?
Less than a week later, on July 6, a 3-year-old palomino paint mare, Tinkerbelle, vanished from her pasture in Gordon County, located in northwest Georgia. The irony here is that only about a week before, her owners discovered an uninvited guest on their property – a bay stallion was in the pasture. This horse has since been turned over to animal control. Was he also stolen? And the question remains – where is Tinkerbelle? Is she lost or was she taken across the state line and sold at an auction in Tennessee or Florida? NetPosse volunteers are searching possibilities to find clues to her whereabouts. Then, on July 9, a horse owner in Coweta County added an unexpected member to her herd. A chestnut thoroughbred gelding, in good health, was found wandering loose. His owner has yet to be located. This again begs the question – was this a failed horse theft attempt?
And a third theft report was received this past weekend from Troup County, located just below Coweta. During a local horse show, a mare was left tied to her trailer for about 15 minutes. When the owner returned, the Danish Warmblood cross was gone. The immediate thought was that she had simply pulled loose, however, there is no real evidence to support this. Over the next 24 hours, the show grounds were searched, but to no avail. Since it is unlikely that the mare would have left on her own, but would have instead gravitated back to the other horses, this case is being treated as a theft. Also, maybe an hour before Merry disappeared, a person entered the property with a trailer stating they were there to pick up a horse. This person could be a suspect.
There are thousands of horses stolen each year in the United States. The vast majority of the people think that horse theft went out with the “old west days” … if they give it any thought at all. But horse theft is very real. Just ask the owners of these stolen horses. Merry’s owner is a teenage girl. This is her dream horse and now her family is living in a nightmare.
NetPosse volunteers are asking for the public’s help in bringing these horses home where they belong. It is very possible that those responsible for these thefts will attempt to sell these horses at auction, perhaps in the Tennessee or North Carolina areas. We ask that you visit www.netposse.com and review these cases, print out the flyers and send out the information to all of your contacts.
At Stolen Horse International, our favorite quote is, “Never underestimate the power of one!” It only takes one person to forward an email, post a flyer or make a phone call. If you would like to help, flyers can be downloaded from the organization’s Web site: www.netposse.com.
For more information on Stolen Horse International and its programs, visit the website at www.netposse.com.
© 2007 – This press release must be kept intact and credit given to Stolen Horse International, Inc. and/or NetPosse.com. A lead portion may be used if a link to NetPosse.com is provided. For more information on Stolen Horse International and its programs, visit the website at www.netposse.com. Stolen Horse International is a Section 501(c)(3) organization under the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to it are tax-deductible as charitable contributions. |
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