A Missing Horse Victim's Tale - Duke's Story

A victim's story: Many of us helped in different ways with the recent search for the missing horse, Duke. It was first thought that he 'just' got out. The owner had reasons to suspect that he didn't get out on his own as time passed. Law enforcement became involved when the missing horse was reported as a potential case of criminal theft. 

How does it feel to wake up to find your horse is gone? What do you do first, second, and from then on until you find the horse? This story will help you understand this victim and many who have similar nightmares. 

Now for the rest of the story... Ok, here's the update on Duke. I'm sure I'll leave something out. 

On Friday morning, the power of our community was evident. We received a call from Officer Sutter of AC that Duke had been spotted. Two Animal Control (AC) officers were present, keeping an eye on Duke at 7:58 a.m. 

The area he was in was an area first searched; it was, as the crow flies, one mile from the house on the other side of the creek ( which Duke would not have crossed). 

Our determination knew no bounds. We looked for days in that area. The next morning, after we posted on Facebook, we had a case file, dropped flyers around the community with the case number, and talked with people. 

Then DUKE just happened to be spotted in a field the next day. The stretch on Central Hill is a little neighborhood, and he was in the yards. 

Once AC and Bruce( hubby) walk towards Duke, he walks away from Bruce, not once but twice. After feeding all the animals, I get out there, I get out there, and he, too, starts walking away. 

Now, there are four of us at different points in the field. He starts running away from us. I had his bucket of feed, and I was shaking it so he could hear the feed, but he was acting like he was afraid of EVERYONE! Duke would always greet people to see what treats they brought. He has never run away from Bruce or me. 

We went from the field to a wooded path, then back to the field, down to the back of a house through a yard, and then started running down Route 620, where traffic speeds by quickly, and many trucks use that route. 

Thank God Gary got his four-wheeler in front of Duke so he could warn oncoming traffic to slow down till Duke ducked off into another field. I'm thankful he made a right turn, so he was on the side we needed him to be on to get him heading towards home. 

There were five of us in the field he turned into, and he still would not stop moving away from people. We were scattered so as not to make him feel trapped. Gary got close, but Duke took off through the woods. 
Now, mind you, we've been chasing Duke in areas we had ridden in before as we searched for him! 

Finally, we return to where the trucks are parked and head back to Central Hill, where Gary has him headed. Gary is staying close to Duke, where he ends up on Ting Street, returning to Central Hill and one street down from our road. 

Duke then turns off Ting Street down the power lines and crosses a small ditch. He but would not cross the big ditch! He finally got Duke on a path heading back to Tings Street. We drive there and spot them coming down the path. We block the path and open both doors to secure the area further. 

By this time, it had been four hours and 12 miles that Officer Sutter and Bruce had walked, according to her pedometer. I figured Duke ran and walked over 20 miles. 

By the time Gary (slowly behind) and Duke got close to us, you could tell he had finally run out of gas. His legs were shaking, and he was about to bolt past us, but we got in front of him and got the lead rope around his neck till we could get the halter on. 

In the meantime, we were slowly hand-feeding him small amounts of food. So we are all excited to finally catch him. At first, he's pulling on the lead rope to get away, but with a few tugs and touches, he stops resisting and stands there. 

We wanted him to catch his breath, and so did Bruce and Officer Sutter, who did most of the walking. We finally caught him, but had another 2-mile walk if you cut through a field to get back to Central Hill from Tings Street. 

Once everyone had drunk water, Officer Sutter finally got into her vehicle and could sit for a second or two. We hugged and thanked everyone for their unwavering support and made new friends. 

When Bruce and Duke walked through the field for a straight shot to Central Hill, I came up behind them, and Bruce jumped on the tailgate while Duke followed. 

Gary was behind me, and UPS was behind him when delivering to our house. He put his flashers on, too, because he knew about Duke, and so did our mail lady. So, for one mile, it was just us on the road. Thank God for that; no traffic. 

So, after ten long days of worrying, crying, and being determined to find Duke, I am convinced he was stolen. 

When this went viral, this hunt for Duke, and the word got out, and he now has a criminal case file, I think the thieves knew their poop was loose. We know who had Duke, but I can't prove it. We informed Sutter of our suspicions about two places, and she had Suffolk AC investigate them.

Remember, I get a case file number the next day Duke is spotted. Now, there are no coincidences. There are only situations that take place because of an action. Every action has a reaction, and the intense energy of prayers; everything works out with God and Jesus Christ as my helpers.

I have a theory. The people who stole Duke dropped him off in the wee hours of Friday morning close enough to home. It's too obvious he was stolen, and when the poop is about to hit the fan, and we are closing in, Duke suddenly appears in public, seen just one mile from home? 

We looked everywhere every day, calling out his name. Additionally, there were no ten days of tracks where he was seen, nor did we find any feces. So that is a sign he had not been in the area for ten days! 

He has been traumatized; he has three lacerations on his legs, and he lost about 40-50 pounds. His mane and tail were not full of debris, as you would think of being in the woods for ten days. His mouth seems sore. I have a call to the vet, and they will make it out tomorrow to give him a good checkup and blood test. 

I wish I had had my camera ready when we walked Duke to the pasture, opened the gate, and walked him in. 

Captain Morgan came up to him, beaming with happiness to see his friend. Duke's immediate reaction when he saw Morgan run towards him was to go into flight mode again, which makes me think he may have been penned with other horses that bullied him. Duke has never been an Alpha male. He's always been the gentle giant. It's like his memory of us was erased! 

Finally, he stops, lets Morgan sniff him, and gets close. They walk off together. I'm sure Morgan was asking him all about his adventure! We allowed them to roam around the yard. But Duke still would not let Bruce walk up to him or me. He would walk away. 

So we finally took him to the barn and saw if Duke was ready to eat( I fed him some when we caught him). He didn't take but maybe a bite or two. He was done. I brought him back outside and started the spa treatment with warm water, which included a sponge bath and massage. 

His legs had finally stopped shaking. I could tell he was tired. Another thing that bothered me was he could walk into the arena from the pasture, which he usually doesn't do. He will, on rare occasions, because we let the grass grow in there. Well, he wasn't eating the grass. 

He did something I never saw him do. He went to the fence that faced the road and a vast field they rode around in and stood there looking out across the field. He has never done that! This action may not seem odd to anyone, but it does to us.

Friday night, after his spa treatment, he had time to wander around while we sat where he could see and hear us till dinner. I put his blanket on him to keep his muscles warm so he would feel secure. 

It was a bit chilly Friday night. Before I went to bed, I came out to check on him, and he was standing at his back door looking out over the pasture. 

He peed once, but there was no poop, and he almost ate all his food. I have been listening to his stomach to see if I could hear gurgling, which is a good sign if you do. Yesterday, there was not too much sound. He wasn't eating because of stress, or other horses kept him from food. That explains the weight loss. 

I got him started on sand, clear in case most of his food was mixed with lots of dirt and sand. So I have him in that for the next seven days. His mouth still seems sore, though. I'm not sure if that's from him eating nuts and soybeans from the fields where he was turned loose or if someone tried riding him with a bit that was not right for him. Perhaps they were just too hard in his mouth. I will find out more about that after the vet examines him. 

This morning's update! Duke had a spot for pooping and peeing, and he also laid down and slept last night. I rubbed his legs down with liniment on Friday and Saturday, so I'm sure that helped him, considering he ran his TWH fast walk for over 20 miles, which he hadn't done for a few years. 

It's been a while since we last went camping and took a trail ride. I miss those fun days! I'll give him a week or so, and depending on what the vet finds out about his mouth, it's time to hit the trails again! The weather is nice and cool, and there are no pesky bugs that bite! 

I'm so happy Duke is home, and we are making progress. He walked up to me three times yesterday on his own and did some walk-bys real close. Duke let me walk up to him, a big difference from Friday. 

One thing I did notice when we got home on Friday was that whenever I tried to approach him, he would walk away. I had a baseball hat on, as did everyone. I took my hat off, and then I was able to walk up to him. 

So whoever took him must have worn a baseball hat. Plus, he didn't want anything to do with men! Duke never cared what you were. He wants to say hi and see what treats you brought him. His favorite is peppermints. I posted a few days ago that I had brought peppermints, so I would have some when he came home!

This whole experience was an eye-opener for me, and it should be for everyone. Our country has gone nuts since the pandemic, which has changed the lives of every single person today. We can't take our lives for granted; we must take more precautions to protect our family and home. That includes our horses and pets.

We now have cameras up! I'm also going to put one up in the barn. I'm still trying to find out who took Duke. I'm waiting for a friend who communicates with animals to talk with both Morgan and Duke before I can put this ordeal to a close. I want to bring someone to justice for what we went through and what Duke went through. 

I got a good report from Bruce, and Duke is chowing down! So, I'll watch him again today to see how his mouth is doing.

To all my family, friends, and newfound acquaintances, I would like to express my deepest gratitude for your prayers. They work miracles! 

So many wonderful people helped bring Duke home, which helped get the word out all over the USA! Stolen Horse International, also known as NetPosse, an incredible network of caring people about animals, helped! 
My daughter, Kat, made sure to distribute a lot of flyers at the peanut festival and post them on her Facebook page, keeping Duke at the forefront and in people's minds. 

My friend Samantha, who is like Captain Marvel of the Avengers, helped out a lot by providing me with information and locations. I'd give her a name, and she got the goods! 

Debi Metcalfe (founder of Stolen Horse International--NetPosse), Wow! Thank you and your organization for getting the big ball rolling and providing me with the tool to disseminate the information to many groups on Facebook. 

And Officer Sutter, who walked all those miles, worked with me and never lost patience with me and my persistent calls, thank you. Chief, thank you for your prompt response to my request for the case file number. That's what tipped the scale in our favor. 

Today, there are signs of improvement with Duke, and again, Bruce and I want to take everyone involved in his search. Posting the shares and mostly the prayers brought such a happy ending. 

I have to admit, when I was posting on the sites, I hated to visit because someone else's horse wasn't as lucky as Duke. My heart aches for them, too. 

It's time to bring the fight back against horse slaughter and change the livestock classification of horses used as companion pets, sports events, and pleasure riding. This way, when a horse is stolen, the crime may receive the same attention as when your dog, cat, or other domestic pet goes missing. Additionally, please consider getting your beloved pets microchipped. I've got some ideas on that, too, that I'm going to check on!

Bottom line. Never give up, don't be afraid to ask for help, and take the time necessary to do your search for your horse.

Our pets count on us for everything. If you brought that pet home, you accepted the responsibility of providing the proper care it needs and the love it requires for it to be happy. 

In turn, you get unconditional love and are never judged. You always have a friend or family member with whom you can share all your secrets, dreams, and concerns. Treating your pets is an extension of yourself and how you want to be treated.