Missing Horses or Stolen HorsesWhat if your missing horses are actually stolen horses, would you know what to do? On September 26, 1997 Debi Metcalfe faced that problem when Idaho was stolen from her pasture. Fifty-one weeks later she was found and brought her home on September 17, 1998. Horse Theft. Been There--Done That by Debi Metcalfe Is just plain talk about horse theft. Debi Metcalfe uses her experience as a theft victim, combined with years of working with other victims worldwide as an educational tool. This book covers the full spectrum of helpful information: prevention tips, recovery tips, identification methods, and helpful forms. The author wishes to bring the horse owner into the world of the victim though their stories and email excerpts. With an estimated 40,000 horses stolen each year in the US alone, she hopes this book will leave you with more than you want to know, but all that you have to know about horse theft.
Debi has turned the pain and worry of a personal experience into a catalyst for stolen horse recovery, www.netposse.com. She helps people turn anguish into action to recover their loved horses by offering support and guidance every step of the way during the search, and prosecution thereafter. Amy Casto Production Manager American Livestock Magazine Who Is Debi Metcalfe? Over the past several years, Ms. Metcalfe has become a champion for the prevention of horse theft. She started on a one person crusade to right a wrong and to put her family back together in the wake of a shattering experience. In the process of solving a crime and compiling her research Ms. Metcalfe has become a recognized authority in her field. She has appeared on television and various radio programs, in newspaper and magazine articles, and addressed civic groups. Her message is powerful and inspirational. Debi Metcalfe never meant to become an activist. Quiet and unassuming, she and her husband, Harold, were just another family with a few well-loved pleasure horses. Debi ran a home-based business in their small town of Shelby, NC. But everything changed the night of September 26, 1997. Harold's mare, Idaho, a member of the Metcalfe family for 8 years, disappeared from her pasture. A search revealed a cut fence and hoof prints that ended abruptly where tire tracks began. A year-long odyssey began. Debi placed her business on hold and spearheaded the search for Idaho. She found that no structured, centralized resource for victims of horse theft existed. In desperation, she used a "shotgun" strategy to blanket as much of the USA as possible with flyers and to talk with every horse dealer, law enforcement officers, and auction house that would listen. Debi knew her search required luck and prayer to succeed, but fifty-one weeks after the theft, a flyer ended up in the right place. Its reader made the call that brought Idaho home. Debi vowed that no other victim would have to face such a traumatic experience alone. The NetPosse was born. This modern day posse uses the speed and networking power of the Internet to spread the word about stolen horses around the world. There is no membership list or dues; anyone can "join" the posse by visiting www.netposse.com, where information is posted about missing horses. Today, at the nerve center of the NetPosse, Debi receives hundreds of e-mails daily and travels to speaking engagements to educate equine enthusiast about theft prevention. Through the efforts of Debi and the NetPosse, many horses and their owners have been reunited. Visit www.netposse.com today. View the flyers of currently missing horses and read the stories of those who have been recovered. You could be the key to helping another horse get home. Metcalfe is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and a member of Kappa Delta Sorority, where she was one of 2008's Awe Inspiring Woman Over 50. The list of Kappa Delta’s AWE-inspiring Women Over 50 includes physicians, artists,entrepreneurs, philanthropists, authors and community leaders.
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