Attempted Horse Abduction
Another Chance 4 Horses, Inc., www.ac4h.com a rescue, rehabilitation and placement organization located in Bernville, Pennsylvania received a frantic call from Tosha Deibert who had learned about our organization after assisting with a cruelty case with the Bedford County Humane Society in May, 2007. In a sleepy community during the wee hours of the night, Houston, a 4 year old gelding managed to escape an apparent abduction. Truck and tire marks, slide marks and boot prints along with coinciding injuries to Houston paint a rather brutal picture of what might have happened. Houston had apparently been run through some barbed wire fencing bordering the farm where he lived, a rope tied around his neck, and led up the driveway to an awaiting trailer. In an attempt to load him onto the trailer, Houston must have fallen since he suffers from Wobblers Syndrome, a neurological condition marked by lack of coordination and weakness in the hind limbs from impingement of the spinal cord. His abductors seemed to have tied ropes around his neck as evidenced by rope burns around the top of his head and ears, trauma to his neck and throat and proceeded to drag the horse in the gravel driveway to get him back on his feet to load into the trailer.
On the night of the attack, Mrs. Tomlinson, mother of the owner of Houston, heard metal banging but thought it was the draft horses playfully banging against the tractor. She
did not go outside to investigate, but the next morning Houston was missing. Luckily he was found sometime later a mile away huddled against some trees and was immediately taken to a nearby vet hospital and as of this report is slowly recovering from some egregious injuries. (Graphic pictures below) Shortly before the abduction attempt, a white Ford 350 diesel dually truck had been seen slowing down in front of the Tomlinson farm. It has a tool box in the bed of the truck, and the driver is a large man with a beard. Two weeks prior to this incident, a dark colored Cavalier type car with no muffler had been stopped at the property also. The police have been notified.
It is important to document your horse with pictures in case of theft. There have been previous attempts at horse thefts in Pennsylvania. To check for, report lost, missing, abandoned or stolen horses please contact Stolen Horse International http://www.netposse.com/
If you have any information that would be helpful in solving this abduction/theft attempt please contact Tosha Deibert 814-977-4525 or email AC4H, Inc. iufo@ac4h.com
Cheryl Hanna - Freelance Writer
