The #1 Search Engine For Missing Horses Celebrates 20 Years

Harold and Debi Metcalfe of Shelby, North Carolina founded Stolen Horse International in 1997 after their own horse, Idaho was stolen. The couple were reunited with Idaho after a frantic search, but the incident revealed the desperate need for an all equine ID registry. 20 years later, the company also known as NetPosse has become the number one search engine for stolen and missing horses.

The database currently stores information on over 5,000 horses, but the organization does so much more. Here's a look at the amazing work they do for missing and stolen horses, as well as those affected by disasters.

When a report is filed on www.netposse.com the network rounds up local support and spreads the word across the internet. A call to action goes out to a network of organizations, individuals, businesses, law enforcement, multiple social media formats, the NetPosse newsletter and recovery specialists - all determined to reunite the equine victim with its righful owners.

"I cannot believe it has been 20 years since our horse Idaho was stolen,” Debi told HorseChannel.com. "We never planned on doing all the things we are doing today. We’ve introduced new features to our Victim’s Services and Educational Outreach Programs, welcomed many horses home, and updated our national NetPosse Identification Program, an all equine ID registry as well as adding a free national disaster database for all animals lost and found during disasters."

Throughout the recent confusion and flooding of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, Net Posse provided free registration for victims with missing animals and many supporters offered space in their barns and assistance in relocating animals in peril.

Let's hope this wonderful organization continues to grow and serve for another 20 years!