7 horses returned to Charlotte owner after theft, sale
CHARLOTTE, N.C. —
Seven horses are back in the hands of their Charlotte owner after being stolen and sold at a horse auction.
They were found only after their story went viral thanks to Stolen Horse International. The local organization sends out email alerts with printable fliers of the animals and their owner's contact information.
Founder Debi Metcalfe said it's easy to steal a horse. She knows because her horse Idaho was stolen from her more than a decade ago. Because of Idaho, she started Stolen Horse International to help people find their stolen or missing horses.
Metcalfe said because they're so big and sometimes hard to maneuver, people assume whoever is handling the horse has permission. She said that's what happened when seven horses were stolen from Amanda Bechtel in Winston Salem while she was moving. Someone just picked them up in a trailer and took off.
She told Eyewitness News the horses had actually been sold at auction, and the thieves had gotten hundreds of dollars.
"They ended up in Walkertown, N.C. All seven of them," Metcalfe said.
Metcalfe said with horse auctions all over the state, thieves often see a handsome reward.
"They don't have to have ownership papers; all they have to have is a horse on a lead line and walk it through," Metcalfe said.
Stolen horse International has reported 50,000 horses are stolen in the USA each year and many never seen again.
story and news video here- http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/local/7-horses-returned-charlotte-owner-after-theft-sale/nXpNX/