I have a web site that has a stolen horse page

[tonette]

Hi I am new on here but thought I would mention that I have my own non profit web site (purely for information I do not make a penny) I introduced a stolen horse page a month ago so if any of you would like me to put details on my web please contact me..... this is something that I would hate to happen to me

 

[netposse]

I started out with one page many years ago. The work over a period of years took what I had intended to be a free page and a hobby to something much larger. To run the organization there had to be money to fund it and that is one reason we charge for our services in the US.

No one gets paid here either, including me and my family. I work 60-70 hours a week. I have a volunteer in Alabama that works 50 hours a week or more. I have another one in Indiana that works 20 or more hours a week. My husband puts in 25 a week.

Believe me, if your one page does what our one page did, you will be charging (unless you are independently wealthy, which I am not) or trying to find money from somewhere just to keep up with the bills that come form helping so many people. I tried not to charge for as long as I could but my board, my attorney and my accountant reminded me that no money means no site. No site means no help for victims. It is just that simple.

It was then that we started charging for the listing for two reasons, 1)We needed money for business continuance. 2) We needed to weed out some of the "false" reports we were getting by the dozens because the service was free.

One of my hardest lessons was to start thinking with my head in terms of running a business and not let my heart make the business decisions. It was a smart move because now we help thousands each year and we have educational programs that are second to none.

I travel thousands of miles across the country each year presenting clinics and speaking at public events. All of which I never receive any pay for my time. If I am lucky enough to be offered money it goes right to Stolen Horse International. Even the proceeds from the book I wrote go to the organization.

What started out as just a listing on a tiny little website has turned into a listing, handmade flyers, alerts sent to tens of thousands, a newsletter, volunteers around the world and much more.

I wish you luck with your site, I truly do. But be careful, it may get much bigger than you can ever imagine.

 

[netposse]

I forgot to ask, what is your website address?

Thanks

 

[KarynK]

Can I just ask that anyone listing stolen horses on their web pages enquire if the poster has ensured that their horse is listed on the Stolen Horse Register and provide a link to that site. Horses can be entered onto the site by Police and Horsewatch groups with a valid crime reference. We really need to support this site as a central point of contact for people to go when they have a horse stolen or are checking what has been stolen.

If we do not continue to support this resource then the details of what has been stolen will become severely disjointed and there will be no central reference point.

Please can owners of horses stolen and subsequently recovered make sure that their local police or horsewatch update the stolen horse register so that the data on it remains current and accurate.

 

[Depp_by_Chocolate]

I run a similar website to the OP (by the sounds of it) an information guide to equestrians in the North East and I would happily mention any stolen horses (and tack/horseboxes etc) on the site, I wrote to Horsewatch but never received a response from them