Stolen Horses Found At Auction – Returned Thanks To Social Media

Hayward County, North Carolina – Russ and Patricia Parker’s horses were stolen from their pasture early Saturday morning.  They were then taken to an auction in Knoxville.  Russ Parker was quick to get the word out on social media and filed a report on Netposse.  People all across the internet began to the search right away. Thankfully, people attending the auction posted pictures and one of the pictures showed a tag enabling investigators to track the horse.

“If we hadn’t have had that tag on this horse — a friend of ours looking through pictures — if we hadn’t have had that tag with this horse, these horses would have been lost forever,” he said. “If those people had not taken those pictures, these horses would have been gone forever, and Bella very likely would have ended up in a slaughterhouse in Mexico.”

Two people have been arrested in connection with the theft of two horses over the weekend.  Nancy McClellan and Dustin Heath Holgen turned themselves in and were each charged with two counts of felony larceny of a horse.  

The horses are now safe and reportedly in good shape.  Russ and Patricia Parker are happy to have their horses back. Source:  wlos.com.