Dr. Raymond Wise is eager to see the return of the young filly stolen from his care earlier this week.
Wise said Liesel, a warmblood Oldenburg, was foaled less than two weeks before she was snatched from a field in the 7400 block of Telegraph Trail sometime between 9:30 p.m. Sunday and 5:30 a.m. Monday.
Wise has been putting mares and foals in that field for 15 years, he said. It’s secured by a five-plank fence and has been made coyote-proof.
“A perfectly safe place to put mares and foals,” said Wise.
Yet early Monday he was called by the caretaker, who told him Liesel was missing.
“We spent a couple hours searching the property,” Wise said.
Since there was no damage to the gate, Wise’s best guess is that someone lifted the foal straight over the fence.
There is some indication that Liesel’s mother, Lola, was sedated by the thieves.
Langley RCMP are now investigating the first horse theft that most locals can remember.
The value of Liesel would be somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000, if she had been left with her mother, raised, and trained.
However, she’s virtually worthless to the thieves.
“It’s not something you can flip for cash,” Wise said.
Liesel is a distinctive foal, with three long white socks and a large white marking on her face.
She will always stand out and could even be identified years from now if she’s located, which would make her difficult to sell.
The real concern now is for the safety and well-being of the foal, separated from its mother at just 12 days old.
“It’s more susceptible to dehydration and energy loss,” Wise said. “It’s certainly at risk to die, without proper care.”
If there was one thing he could say to the thieves, Wise would say “Bring it back.”
“We need to have that foal back today,” he said Monday morning.
The owners of the filly are very upset, Wise said.
If the foal is not reunited with Lola, it will have to be bottle fed.
“At this stage of the game, it’s too old to patch on to a mare that’s lost her foal,” Wise said.
It will need very frequent bottle feeding just to survive, said Wise.
Anyone with information on the stolen foal can call the Langley RCMP at 604-532-3200 or, to remain anonymous, call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
Tips can also be left at www.solvecrime.ca or by texting BCTIP and your message to CRIMES (274637).
