Tuesday, April 15, 2008

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.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Lenn,
Thanks for posting...

sponsorahorse.org

Anonymous said...

I just got an email from a friend saying the trailer with all the contents has been located on Mulholland Dr. A bicyclist who had read about it in the Ventura Star spotted it & called it in.

Anonymous said...

Mulholland Dr, they got lucky. I hope they get insurance now. It is not that much a yr for trailer insurance.

Anonymous said...

And a lock, they can't be that expensive.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Where is she starting up her facility?

Anonymous said...

She should not be hard to find she was advertised in HITS @ Thermal. The exact location is in somewhere in Santa Paula on Wheeler. Check the HITS Magazine schedule for exact details. She is advertised in the Equestrian Directory also but it is an old listing for a differnt training facilty. She is working in Burbank near Mulholland right now. Realistically do not take my word for it check it out yourself this should be a no brainer for the Sherrifs.
I think she used to work at Grey Fox Farms Camarillo about a year ago.

OVN administrator said...

The anonymous posting at 11:23 p.m. on April 18 has been pulled from this blog because the person identified as "certainly the person that stole the trailer" has not been arrested for this crime and has not been named as a suspect as of this posting.

Anonymous said...

Hey Lenny,

Do you know that she isn't the thief? Way to spoil the fun on a good time witch hunt. I think she should be burned at the stake or dunked in water. . . Then we'll know if she is the thief.

Anonymous said...

So has the trailer been found or not?