A vet student has allegedly scammed dozens of horse owners, offering loving homes to their horses but actually shipping them to auctions, instead.
Over a dozen horse owners believed they had found a loving home for their horse owners in a Tuskegee University third-year vet student. The woman promised each owner that their horse would serve as a companion horse for her own barrel racing horse, and that their horses would live out a comfortable retirement. In some cases, she said that she would train the horses and use them as her own trail horses. All of the owners gave the woman their horses, without knowing that she was giving other owners the same story.
Some of the owners established verbal contracts with the vet student, while others took the extra step of having a written contract. In many cases, the owners told the student that the horses were to return to them if or when she no longer needed the horses or could no longer care for them. The student provided texts and updates to some of the owners - for a while.
Then, the messages stopped, and the owners gradually discovered the tragic truth: The student had allegedly been gathering horses and shipping them to auctions or kill pens. She was making money off of the horses that had been given to her for free, in exchange for her promise of providing them with a good home.
https://www.facebook.com/findingwillie/photos/a.892540420925804.1073741831.889536254559554/892540500925796/?type=3&theater
One of the horses' owners has even started a Facebook page called Finding Willie. The page is designed to help share information about the search for the missing horses, including Willie, a 15-year-old Appendix gelding. Stolen Horse International is also involved, and owners are currently searching for the horses that they gave away. According to statements on the Finding Willie Facebook page, some owners have filed police reports.
Tuskegee University released the following statement about the incident involving their student:
According to the university's statement, it needs "unquestionable proof" of the student's guilt before it is able to take action, such as expelling the student.
We sincerely hope that the horses are safely located and returned to their owners.
What do you think of the university's decision to allow the student to remain enrolled?
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