The owner of a horsebox which was stolen from a country show this weekend with her dog inside has appealed for help in finding her much-loved pet.
Gabby Cox’s 11-year-old Jack Russell Smarty was in the 5.5t box taken from the Edenbridge and Oxted agricultural show yesterday (25 August). The lorry was later found abandoned in Essex, but although the thieves had left all the tack and equipment, worth some £10,000, inside, Smarty was not there.
Gabby told H&H she is happy to give a reward if she can get Smarty home.
“If I don’t get her back, I don’t know how I will go on,” she said.
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
“It might sound stupid, but I’ve been through a lot of rough times and she’s never left my side – she’s everything to me.”
Gabby said she “never, ever” leaves Smarty in the lorry at shows and only did so yesterday as the weather was awful.
“She was so cold, and we were only gone 15 minutes for my class,” said Gabby, who was showing her miniature Shetland stallion. “We left the lorry at one minute past the hour and it was taken at four minutes past.
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“They dumped the lorry and although we had all my tack and competition gear inside, they’d only taken my purse and keys – and my dog. My mum’s purse and dad’s wallet were next to mine, but they didn’t take them.”
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Gabby said if Smarty, who is identifiable by a small wart on her right eye, is returned, she will not press charges or take any further action.
“If you’ve seen her, please report it and get her back to me,” she said. “I’m happy to give the reward if she comes back to me; she’s my best friend in the world.”
Anyone with information should call Surrey Police on 101, quoting reference 45180091636.
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
