Harris County offers $5,000 reward for missing miniature horse Peanut

Crime Stoppers of Houston was offering a $5,000 reward for information on Peanut, a 4-year-old golden palomino miniature horse believed stolen from Houston's Heights. Click2Houston said Peanut was still missing in Harris County on July 31, and Harris County Constable Precinct 4 helped push the case to the public.

Peanut's owner said the horse was more than a pet. "He wasn’t a horse. He was like my kid." The owner also said Peanut was like family and believed he may have been targeted because of his rare appearance, a detail that gave the case an unusually personal edge in a county where a missing animal can cross city limits, sheriff jurisdiction lines and shelter intake systems in a matter of hours.

The fastest way to help was to call Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713.222.TIPS, or 713.222.8477, with any location information, photos or video. Residents also could check Harris County Pets' lost-and-found page, Houston SPCA's found-animals resources and Harris County Animal Control's lost-pet process at 612 Canino Rd. in Houston, where an appointment is required to look for a lost pet. If someone saw Peanut or found evidence tied to the Heights theft, the tip needed to go in quickly rather than waiting for social media to spread.

Local shelters see enough missing-animal cases to keep standing reunion tools online. BARC Animal Shelter & Adoptions has said it sees an increase in lost pets after the Fourth of July, and both BARC and the Houston SPCA maintain dedicated lost-and-found pages for the Houston area. Houston Pets Alive advises owners to keep microchip information current, a common mistake that can delay reunions when a pet goes missing.