Rescue Group's Horse Trailer Stolen

Nonprofit’s loss includes costly tack, equipment

By Laignee Barron
A small Meiners Oaks ranch run entirely by donations and a team of 20 volunteers has been the home of California Coastal Rescue — a horse rehabilitation center — for the past eight years.
Coastal Rescue is a nonprofit organization that exists to care for abandoned, abused and retired sport horses and to find them new homes. On Wednesday night it was also the site of a theft that caused an estimated loss upwards of $10,000.
Last Wednesday night at 7 p.m. the last volunteer left the horse rescue ranch after locking up and ensuring all the horses were fine. By the next morning when the property owner was walking the ranch at approximately 10 a.m., he noticed the three-horse trailer, parked on the private property next to the horse stalls, was gone.
“He was so upset when we found out it was stolen, and kept saying ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Everyone was horrified that some one would actually steal it,” said cofounder and director of California Coastal Rescue, Cindy Murphree. “I was away for the week and when I came back I noticed it gone. When I asked about it everyone said they hoped I might have had it.”
That was on Saturday afternoon when Murphree returned to the ranch. After notifying the police later that day Murphree hoped it would be returned soon, but as of printing there has been no word on the whereabouts of the trailer.
At the time of the theft the trailer was being used to store equipment while the shed was cleaned out. In addition to the loss of their trailer, the ranch also lost three saddles, including a new English saddle, four blankets, eight feed buckets, all of the bridles, halters, helmets and most of the lead ropes. Without these items it’s been difficult for the ranch to keep running.
“We don’t have the funds to replace the items right now but they’re essential to any ranch. Most of the equipment was donated and the trailer was bought from grant money,” Murphree said.
The trailer was also uninsured, so there was no reimbursement to replace even half of the missing equipment.
The rescue volunteers have managed to pull together $500 as a reward offered for the return of the trailer, a white, 2001 Avenger with a California license plate number 1XD1820.
Anyone who has seen the stolen trailer and equipment is asked to phone the Sheriff’s Department at 654-9611 or California Coastal Rescue at 649-1090.
To make a much-needed and appreciated donation visit calcoasalhorserescue.com, e-mail horse@jetlink.net or mail it to P.O. Box 1646, Oak View, CA 93022.