May | 2011 | BLOG.MYGINGERBREADMAN.COM

First a quick note.. having some wierd trouble getting onto my blog and post the posts i wanted… so not sure if i haveantoher hacker… or what the problem is… if i cant post thearticle that is the reason.. i kept trying to log into my blogcast and it wasnnt doing anything…. i mean for a botu 10 minutes it wasnt allowing me to jsut click onnteh blog cast and enter my post… wierd right.. i was laready signed into the account.. and had already been writing on my other website for www.mysearchforjustice.com… but it wasnt’talowing me to write to www.mygignerbreadman.com… a thought… i hate criminals… so here is the article onthe horses…

By MONICA NISTA and SARAH NETTER

Sept. 9, 2009

The discovery of another slaughtered horse — this time a prized racehorse — has deepend the mystery of a spate of grotesque mutilations in south Florida this year.

Police and animal rights advocates believe the slaughters may be sparked by the exhorbitant asking price for horse meat in that part of the country, but have not been able to track down who has killed as many as 20 animals.

The latest horse to be mutiliated was a 4 1/2-year-old racehorse named Kristi, found in it’s Miami Gardens, Fla., stall, her throat slit and back legs removed, according to the Miami Herald.

Owner Yosmel Luis found his horse dead earlier today when he visited the stable to feed her.

“He has no idea how bad I want to find him,” Luis told the Herald, referring to the killer. “It’s so cruel. It’s murder like if they killed a person. The only thing worse than killing my horse would be killing my daughter and my mother and father.”

The Herald also reported that the Miami Gardens police were in contact with authorities in Miami-Dade County, where more than a dozen horses have been killed since January.

In what has seemed like scenes right out of a Wes Craven horror movie — the equine version — horses have been killed in that time, some even hacked alive while the butcher did his work, their carcasses strewn along roads and farms.

Photos of the aftermath sent to ABC News were too graphic for use. Horse remains have been discovered mutilated, body parts hacked at the limbs and meat cut away from their stomachs, some apparently killed in remote locations and others on the horse owners’ property, slaughtered in their own stalls.

Public information officer Nick Pimentel of the Miami-Dade Police Department said investigators are working hard to find the perpetrator and the officers directly involved in the investigation were unavailable for comment.

“All entities are trying to locate who these people are and what they are doing with the horses and what they are doing with the meat,” Pimentel told ABC News.

Richard Couto, an investigator with the South Florida Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, was on the scene of the latest ghastly discovery.

“It is one of the more disturbing stories. There was a foal, a baby involved. I got to the scene, the horse was killed by a knife that went under her chin, and she died a slow, grueling death. The reason I know this is because the blood trail was just everywhere,” Couto told ABC News.

“And the foal never leaves the mother’s side, so the baby was certainly by her side while they were carving her up. The owner found the baby trying to nurse off the mother’s carcass,” he added.

It appears that no neighborhood is safer than the other. According to Keith Dane, director of equine protection at the Humane Society of the United States, the killings have been all over the map.

“It’s been really varied in terms of who the owners and victims are,” he said. “There have been some farms that raise horses, private families that own horses on their property. Most of the instances have been in remote locations where there isn’t a lot of traffic. The more remote the location the less likely the violator is going to be caught.”

Page 2 of 3

Sept. 9, 2009

Illegal Horse Slaughters ‘Alive and Well’ in Miami

With no suspect yet arrested, the motive for the killings has not been confirmed, but Karen Gustinger, a local horse lover and member of the Homestead Rodeo Association, is convinced the horses are being sold on the black market for meat.

“It’s solely profit-driven. There’s a black market down here for horse meat. My understanding is it’s selling for $20 per pound and it ranges from people eating horse meat in other cultures to the rumor of horse meat being a miraculous medical discovery that cures all ailments.”

Couto says the meat is definitely being harvested on the black market and for even higher than $20 per pound.

“The reason we know it’s becoming an issue is that there are people living in rural areas who are having people drive up to them at their homes or on the street and asking if they want to buy horse meat… There are reports from a few of the law enforcement agencies out of Broward County saying the meat’s going for up to $40 per pound,” Couto said.

“Many people in the U.S. think horse slaughtering is only being done in Mexico and Canada…..slaughter and the black market trade is alive and well in Miami,” he added.

According to Couto, some local ethnic groups believe that eating the horse meat is a cure-all.

“Miami-Dade is a melting pot and there are a lot of cultures here where it’s OK to eat horse meat… Some nationalities think it helps with some ailments. They think that AIDS patients will be cured and will recover quicker if they eat horse meat. This is not true,” Couto said.

Not only is the horse meat not a wonder drug like some falsely believe, but the meat being harvested is contaminated.

“These horses are being seen by vets on a monthly basis. Tranquilizers and even just a basic fly spray all are labeled not to be used on animals to be used in the food chain. People are spending a lot of money on contaminated meat that’s going to make them sick,” said Couto.

Miami-Dade Not Just a Beach Community

Though most think of palm trees and night clubs when they think of Miami, Couto paints a different picture.

“Miami-Dade isn’t only about the beach and the sand,” said Couto. “The majority of Miami is more in rural areas and our horse population is extremely high. It’s the second most populated horse state in the country. It’s horse country,” he added.

Gustinger said local horse owners have taken up arms to protect their beloved pets.

“The horse community is getting edgy and very upset,” Gustinger told ABC News. “We’ve started community watches, people are patrolling their yards with guns to the point where some of the horse owners are looking forward to it. They’re starting to hunt these people… they want it stopped,” she added.

“The fear that is in place right now for anyone that owns a horse in South Florida… people are having a hard time sleeping, worried that when they wake up in the morning they’ll find a massacre in their barn,” Couto said.

The Humane Society Society of the United States is offering a reward of $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for these horrific acts.

“If the meat is being sold for consumption, that would be in violation of federal law,” the Human Society’s Dane told ABC News.

Page 3 of 3

Sept. 9, 2009

“These are alarming events that we’re hoping the authorities will be able to stop and that they will be able to track down and find the perpetrators and prosecute them under state animal cruelty laws,” he added.

Losing ‘Family Members’ a Shock

Gustinger organized a rally last Saturday night at the Homestead Rodea Arena. It was her way of trying to involve not only the area’s horse owners, but the entire community to prevent any more unlawful horse killings.

“We’re trying to say as a community that this is not acceptable… this isn’t how we want to live,” Gustinger added. “We’re not turning a blind eye to this anymore because it just keeps happening.”

In addition to the shocking brutality of the deaths, Couto pointed out that losing horses has also been emotionally traumatic for the owners.

“These are our pets and they’re considered as mostly family members to these people,” he said.

Gustinger said, “We’re really looking to the community to solve this.”

Dane adds there are a few precautionary measures horse owners can take.

“If there are gates that are accessible to the road, put locks on them… Use flood lights where that’s feasible…Spot checks throughout the evening,” he said.

“One thing we don’t recommend is locking horses in barns because if there was a fire… If there is a community of horseowners they may want to set up taking turns monitoring the area.”

Anyone interested in learning more information on how you can help save the horses can go to Crime Stoppers of Miami-Dade. In addition, the SPCA of Southern Florida has its own Web site “Help the Horses.”

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perrichiss

10:50 PM EDT
Sep 10, 2009

All the above comments say what I feel having read them. I feel so helpless. When this happens , sometimes we just wallow in it all. But, deep down in my heart, I know that there are many folks who are crying and hurtingover this brutal slaughter. I for one hope some one will lead the way to bring those guilty to jail. As a horse owner,I want to do what ever is helpful. Perhaps the worst thing for us , who care, is to do absolutely nothing toward helping this cause.

oonogil2

10:46 PM EDT
Sep 10, 2009

lastdropofcommonsence. — Most of us detest inhumane slaughter of any animal. It can and should be done as quickly and painlessly as possible. I lived most of my life in Texas where it’s legal to use deadly force to protect your property. No problem with that so if you want to shoot a thief, I loan you a gun. …. I love and respect all life but I also understand that in order for anything to live, something else must die. Laws that treat certain animals differently are ususlly based on emotion, not on logic. A beloved pet lamb is not suitable for consumption. A sheep raised commercially is. A horse, cow, pig or any other animal is the same. A cat at your house may be a pet. A cat damaging my property is a pest. It all depends on the context. These people are stealing animals and slaughtering them inhumanely. The fact that it’s a horse is of little consequence. A calf raised by a child can be just as loved by that child but laws see it differently than they would a horse. Why?

lastdropofcommonsence

8:25 PM EDT
Sep 10, 2009

When I read the comments here I am frequently baffled by the logic people apply. People who would scream their heads off it their car was stolen see no big issue in the killing (therefore theft) of these horses because, in other parts of the world, people eat horse meat. Huh? Even if you don’t care about the inhumane actions, think about the theft angle and the simple fact that they are breaking the law. Still not bothered? Then think about the fact that there are people who are able to cut the legs off a horse before they kill it walking around in our society and that what YOU own might be what they want next.

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