[sillyquail]

I live in North Carolina. I am looking for ANYONE who is interested in promoting a horse theft law that is more stringent than what is currently in place. We have a state criminal law that says horse theft is a Class H felony. There is also a civil lien law that is in place that instructs horse facility owners what steps they must follow if a boarder has not paid up his/her board. That's it folks. No description of what kind of theft: did someone steal your horse from the pasture; did a boarding facility manager sell your horse without notification; did a lessee walk off with your beloved equine? No criminal consequences to a boarding facility owner upon removing your horse from their premises having not followed the lien law or a secondary rider who has driven off with your well trained equine in the back of their trailer.

In the August 2015 edition of Equus Magazine there was an article about horse theft. I am the person mentioned in that article who physically found two stolen horses in Harnett County and went through months of red tape to return the horses to their rightful owner.

I would like to see a law that describes the types of thefts/has wording that makes any kind of "disappearance" a felony. I would also like to see the lien law connected to the criminal law in some way so that all horse disappearances are handled as felonies. Both horses and cars are listed under the umbrella of "property" in NC. Yet our police forces do not respond to horse theft the same as they respond to car theft. You are a felon if you steal a car. Even though the NC law states you are a felon if you steal a horse, law enforcement in almost all horse theft situations, force horse owners to obtain their horses through civil court at a great expense to the horse owner. In fact, if your horse is stolen, in many many cases, you are on your own and you'd better have some money in your pocket to get that horse back.

Please don't suggest that I contact SHI/netposse.com. I have done so and they are busy with their website and assisting with ideas on how to get your horse back. Please don't suggest I contact the NC Horse Council. I have done that three times and have been told "someone will contact you." NO ONE HAS CONTACTED ME. I have sent emails and a letter and have telephoned my state senator to no avail. I have contacted a well known "animal law" attorney in NC and as long as I deposit a hefty retainer, she will answer the few legal questions I have.

Is anyone in the state of North Carolina ready to tackle this job with me? Let's be proactive not reactive. Let's put some work into legislation that would put the person who took, sold, or in any way absconded with our horses where they belong and also this legislation would be the fire at the heels of law enforcement to retrieve our animals and arrest those felons.

Please PM me for any further information Thank you.

 

[ShirtHotTeez]

I am not able to help, but have a suggestion. Are you able to look back at 'old' laws of horse stealing from before the time of cars.

For instance. A london taxi by law is still supposed to carry a bale of hay!! A law that has fallen by the wayside because taxi's are not now horse-drawn but technically the law still stands...!!

 

[netposse]

We would love to help in the background through Stolen Horse International. You know we support your mission to get this done. The laws changed years ago to what they are now because of the theft of our horse and the work we did then to find stolen horses. I didn't personally help with the change but I did see that they had. I think the NCHC did it. Contact the members individually and see if you have more luck.

I live in North Carolina. I am looking for ANYONE who is interested in promoting a horse theft law that is more stringent than what is currently in place. We have a state criminal law that says horse theft is a Class H felony. There is also a civil lien law that is in place that instructs horse facility owners what steps they must follow if a boarder has not paid up his/her board. That's it folks. No description of what kind of theft: did someone steal your horse from the pasture; did a boarding facility manager sell your horse without notification; did a lessee walk off with your beloved equine? No criminal consequences to a boarding facility owner upon removing your horse from their premises having not followed the lien law or a secondary rider who has driven off with your well trained equine in the back of their trailer.

In the August 2015 edition of Equus Magazine there was an article about horse theft. I am the person mentioned in that article who physically found two stolen horses in Harnett County and went through months of red tape to return the horses to their rightful owner.

I would like to see a law that describes the types of thefts/has wording that makes any kind of "disappearance" a felony. I would also like to see the lien law connected to the criminal law in some way so that all horse disappearances are handled as felonies. Both horses and cars are listed under the umbrella of "property" in NC. Yet our police forces do not respond to horse theft the same as they respond to car theft. You are a felon if you steal a car. Even though the NC law states you are a felon if you steal a horse, law enforcement in almost all horse theft situations, force horse owners to obtain their horses through civil court at a great expense to the horse owner. In fact, if your horse is stolen, in many many cases, you are on your own and you'd better have some money in your pocket to get that horse back.

Please don't suggest that I contact SHI/netposse.com. I have done so and they are busy with their website and assisting with ideas on how to get your horse back. Please don't suggest I contact the NC Horse Council. I have done that three times and have been told "someone will contact you." NO ONE HAS CONTACTED ME. I have sent emails and a letter and have telephoned my state senator to no avail. I have contacted a well known "animal law" attorney in NC and as long as I deposit a hefty retainer, she will answer the few legal questions I have.

Is anyone in the state of North Carolina ready to tackle this job with me? Let's be proactive not reactive. Let's put some work into legislation that would put the person who took, sold, or in any way absconded with our horses where they belong and also this legislation would be the fire at the heels of law enforcement to retrieve our animals and arrest those felons.

Please PM me for any further information Thank you.

 

[Saddlebag]

I know of someone in the boarding business who's sold a few horses without following procedure as laid out by provincial ruling. Board was overdue, not just a month but many months. One owner came back to claim her horse but it was long gone. I don't think the BO has ever been prosecuted. In Ontario, the BO has an automatic lien on a horse the moment the board is overdue. That's doesn't give license to ignore the procedure.

 

[KigerQueen]

its different if board is over due and there is a lien on the horse. but there have been cases where BO sells the horse without telling the owner event though they HAVE paid. THAT is an issue. along with horse theft in general. We had a scare with that recently. someone on the property were we board at midnight looking for a horse named rocket. our horse is the only one named rocket and we had no idea who this person was. now all stalls have padlocks on them...

I wish some of the old laws were still fallowed. in arizona horse thieves are supposed to be hung.