Jewelie, a beloved mustang who was rustled from a family's Antelope property in November, is back home.
"She's worse for the wear, but still breathing," said the mare's owner, Vickie Talley, who rescues and cares for unwanted horses.
After a Sacramento County sheriff's deputy put pressure on people the family suspected of being the thieves, an anonymous caller phoned Talley late Thursday night and agreed to deliver Jewelie to a nearby horse arena.
When Talley, her husband, Scott, daughter Sarah and a couple of neighbors arrived at the appointed spot, they found a thinner, sadder version of the sorrel with distinctive white markings who was taken in early November.
"She looked horrible," said Talley. Jewelie had lost about 150 pounds, and suffered "a really bad dye job" to her hair and a shortening of her tail, Talley said. The horse's mouth and nose had been bleached white, and an injury to one of her rear legs had become worse.
"But I recognized her right away," the owner said. "She's got an ugly mug. She's not going to win any beauty contests. You can't miss her."
Jewelie has since been relocated to an undisclosed spot where she is recovering, her owner said.
After Jewelie was stolen, the Talley family distributed hundreds of leaflets and posted the theft online in hopes of finding her. The search had been fruitless until the Sheriff's Department intervened, Talley said.
No one has been arrested in the case.
Call The Bee's Cynthia Hubert, (916) 321-1082.
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