Unweaned foal stolen in July found safe and well, and back with mum

A 12-week-old filly foal stolen in July has been found and reunited with her mum, thanks to a Horsewatch campaign.

Jess was unweaned when she was stolen from her mother in a field near Morley in Leeds on 27 July.

But on Monday, 6 September, Jess was found on land a mile from where she went missing. The owner of the land had seen the West Yorkshire Police Horsewatch posters at her local feed suppliers and recognised the foal.

Jess’s owner, Edward Crosby, told H&H: “She was very dazed for a few days, but she’s coming round. We’ve had her checked over by a vet, but she seems healthy.

“She’s in the stable next door to her mum — the mare isn’t being vicious, she’s just not sure about Jess. The foal is more sure than the mare. We’ll leave it another few days and then put them in the field together.”

After Jess was stolen, West Yorkshire Police Horsewatch and the foal’s owners mounted a huge publicity campaign — issuing posters, circulating photographs and even setting up a Facebook page which attracted nearly 4,000 members.

Police project officer Fiona Pearson said: The foal could not have got onto the land where she was found on her own. I think there was so much publicity surrounding the case that whoever took her realised it would be quite hard to pass her on.”

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