Help Keep the "Amber Alert" for Horses Alive

As we approach the end of 2025, Stolen Horse International (NetPosse.com) is reaching out to its community to help sustain its mission of reuniting missing horses with their families. For 28 years, this volunteer-run organization has served as the "Amber Alert" for the equine world, assisting in  recovering many horses through its NetPosse Alert network.
Your year-end contribution directly funds the digital infrastructure and educational programs that make these miracles possible.

Why Your Gift Matters in 2025 for 2026

• The NetPosse Alert System: Your donations maintain the powerful digital database that indexes missing horse reports, making them searchable on Google for years—even decades—until a horse is found.
• A "Shoestring" Budget: Operating as an all-volunteer nonprofit, every dollar goes toward victim services and program costs rather than salaries.
• Expanding Protection: In 2025, NetPosse continues to protect not only horses but also livestock, farm equipment, and pets through the NetPosse ID registry.

Without a successful year-end giving campaign, Stolen Horse International faces critical operational threats in 2026. As a nonprofit that receives no government funding and relies entirely on volunteers, the lack of holiday donations could lead to the following consequences:

• Service Reductions: The organization may be forced to make "drastic changes" to its operations, potentially limiting the direct assistance it can offer to desperate horse owners during their time of crisis.
• Website Vulnerability: The NetPosse.com database—the only one of its kind that keeps missing horse reports active and searchable on Google for decades—requires monthly funding just for basic maintenance. Without funding, the searchable lifeline for thousands of families could be compromised.
• Increased Costs for Victims: To sustain the "Victim’s Services Program," report filing fees were recently increased to $75 as of September 26, 2025, due to rising operational costs. Low funding necessitated fee increases, making it harder for owners to alert the public quickly.
• Loss of Educational Outreach: Funding shortages directly impact the ability of volunteers for Stolen Horse International to teach horse theft and loss prevention awareness, leaving the equine community more vulnerable to organized theft rings.

Your contribution ensures that NetPosse remains an active, reliable shield for the equine community in the coming year. Donate today to keep this lifeline open.

What are some examples of horse owners who benefited from NetPosse Alerts?

Stolen Horse International (NetPosse) has facilitated thousands of NetPosse Alerts, many resulting in reunions, some occurring days after a disappearance and others over a decade later. Below are specific examples of owners and horses who benefited from these alerts: 

Recent and Notable Recoveries

A Michigan Family and their Pony (2024): After a pony was stolen from a pasture, the owner filed a NetPosse report. Widespread sharing of the alert by volunteers led to a tip that the pony had been hidden in a barn with its mane and tail cut and coat dyed to conceal its identity. The recovery led to felony charges against five individuals.

Lil Miss Mischief (June 2025): This horse went missing from a stable in Greensboro, North Carolina. After a high-visibility search effort supported by NetPosse, she was successfully recovered.

Tiffany Lance-Bolton (2025): Tiffany was reunited with her "heart horse" just two weeks after filing a report, despite having been separated from the animal for eight years.

JoJo, Paris, and Darla (2020): These three horses were recovered in Texas just as one was being loaded onto a truck bound for a "kill buyer" in Mexico. The owners credited the recovery to the alert system's diligent timeline and visibility. 

Long-Term Miracles

The NetPosse database is unique because its reports are indexed by search engines, allowing for recoveries years after a theft: 

Michelle Pool and "Opie" (10 Years): Stolen from a pasture in San Antonio, Texas, in 2003, Opie was found 10 years later. A potential buyer saw a Craigslist ad for the horse, became suspicious, and searched the NetPosse database, where they found Michelle’s original report from a decade earlier.

Rod Vilencia and "Ariel" (12 Years): After a 12-year search, Rod was finally reunited with his horse, Ariel, a moment the organization’s founder described as one of the most moving in NetPosse's history.

"Soldier" the Mule (11 Years): Soldier was successfully reunited with his owners 11 years after going missing because a report was kept active and searchable on the NetPosse website.

Kaitlynn Bilskie and "Max" (1 Year): A 14-year-old barrel racer was reunited with her horse after a buyer realized they had inadvertently purchased a stolen horse and found the family's NetPosse notice online, and used the flyer to identify the horse. 

The Original Recovery: Idaho

The organization itself was founded after Debi Metcalfe spent 51 weeks searching for her horse, Idaho, who was stolen in 1996. Idaho was eventually found when a horse show official recognized her from a flyer the Metcalfes had distributed, sparking the creation of the NetPosse network to help others avoid similar ordeals.

How to Donate

Online: Visit the official donation page to make a one-time or recurring monthly contribution.

PayPal: Send funds directly via paypal.me/netposse.

Venmo: Use the handle @stolenhorseinternational.

Mail: Send a check or money order made payable to:
Stolen Horse International, PO Box 1341, Shelby, NC 28151.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, all donations to Stolen Horse International are tax-deductible. Help ensure that no horse is ever truly forgotten.