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Stolen Horse International, Inc.
PO Box 1341
Shelby, NC 28151
(704) 484-2165
stolenhorse@netposse.com
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Been There Done That"
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After five arrests and a lull in killings, 24th dead horse found
The following are excerpts of an article by nbcmiami.com By JEFF BURNSIDE of nbcmiami.com
Updated 9:09 AM EST, Wed, Dec 23, 2009
Despite five arrests and a lull in horse killings since July in Miami-Dade, another horse was found slaughtered last night, its body left on the side of the road.
The horse was hauled to the dumping site, a dirt road near 168ths St. and 182nd Ave., in a truck, its carcass carried on an old door. It was covered with branches, perhaps to make it look like a load of landscaping debris.
Not only was the meat removed but so was the head, legs and hide. Portions of thehide were found dragged toward a large bonfire in the night in a field where men - possibly farm workers - were reportedly heard laughing and joking.
It had every bit of meat removed strongly suggesting the horse, like so many others, was butchered for its meat for the burgeoning black market in horse meat for human consumption.
The total number of butchered horses now sits at 24 found in 2009 in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. Their slaughter for human consumption is a disturbing and illegal phenomenon that authorities say exists only in South Florida.
It was unclear whether the latest horse was stolen; all identifying marks were removed and there were no early reports of horse theft in the immediate area. While some horses are slaughtered by their owners, it is illegal to buy or sell horsemeat.
The problem of stolen and slaughered horses pales in comparison to the number of horses killed in illegal slaughterhouses throughout rural Miami-Dade County.
Horse Found Slaughtered as the Butchering Continues in Florida
Another Florida horse was found slaughtered in Homestead Saturday afternoon in a scene that is described as gruesome by officials. The horse, a three to four year old thoroughbred mare was found in pieces.
This incident marks the 21st reported case according to Miami-Dade police officials.
There have been arrest made but this is far from over since there is a demand for the black market meat in some cultures in the United States.
Debi Metcalfe, founder of the nonprofit organization Stolen Horse International cautions horse owners by saying,
"Horse owners need to be proactive and do everything possible to prevent their horse from being stolen and from this horrible crime."
Metcalfe continues, "Out of the thousands of horse theft cases I have dealt with over the past eleven years, many have had happy endings. For those unsolved, our nonprofit organization continues to search for these horses until the horse is found and the owner has closure. The possibility that horses will be stolen and slaughtered is something that cannot be cast aside. However, the facts of the cases need to be studied individually and owners need to deal with the first issue at hand; how to protect our horses.
The Miami Herald reported that in October two men were arrested by police because of their involvement in this case. In October, officers arrested Roberto Aguedo Chavez, 53 and a worker Ricardo Olivarez, 45.
The police have also arrested 18-year-old Luis Miguel Cordero and Santiago Cabrera, 19, who police say confessed to the crime.
In September, two teens were arrested by Miami-Dade police and charged with animal cruelty, killing a horse, and armed burglary.
Metcalfe, founder of Stolen Horse International states, "I have been telling everyone from the beginning that  this will happen again and again. Florida horse owners everywhere need to take extra precautions to protect their horses!"
Metcalfe adds these tips.
- Put warning signs up to ward off intruders. Make the intruders think your property has surveillance even if it does not.
- Make sure you have neighborhood watches in your community. Go door to door or email your neighbors and ask for their help watching your horses.
- Bolt your gates.
- Put up motion lighting as well as a farm light on the property.
- Move horses closer to your house when sleeping and away from roads or easy entry to your property.
- ID your horses with visible ID as well as a microchip number. One may deter the theives from your property and the other can ID your horse if the worst happens.
- Report suspicious activity to law enforcement. Make sure you get tag numbers from vehicles.
- Add animal alarms to your farm like barking dogs, guineas, donkeys, peacocks etc
- Add video camera or deer cam surveillance to your property
- Do not leave home without having someone watch your property
- Take pictures with your cell phone of suspicious vehicles on and around your community. Don't foret the license tag if you can take a picture safely.
- Do not put yourself in harms way. Call law enforcement.
Anyone with information on this latest case is asked to call Miami-Dade CrimeStoppers at 305-471-TIPS or Stolen Horse International at 704-484-2165.
Relate Info:
NetPosse.com Commentary: Stolen Horse International plea to the newsmedia regarding the Florida Horse Butchering news coverage
NetPosse.com Commentary on Florida Horse Butcher
Related NetPosse Commentary: Stolen Horse International Commentary on Florida Horse Theft, Slaughter and Dismemberment
UPDATED ARTICLES ON ARRESTS MADE IN FLORIDA KILLINGS: Teen Arrested AND 2nd Teen Arrested
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The abbreviated tips below from my book, Horse Theft. Been There—Done That, can help your level of awareness and help you protect your horses. Thieves like to work quickly. Anything that causes delays in stealing a horse is a deterrent.
Tips for theft awareness
- Identification for your horses—microchip and some form of visible ID (such as a freeze brand) are recommended. [Lean more atwww.netposse.com under IDENTIFICATION on the site menu]
- Post warning signs on your farm that state that “Horses and equipment have permanent identification.” The signs are a deterrent to theft.
- Take pictures of all four sides of your horse in winter and summer. Include individual pictures ofspecific natural markings or scars on the horse.
- Maintain records, which should include: copy of the bill of sale, breed registration papers, vet records, Coggins test, health certificate and microchip and brand registration papers.
- Remove halters and do not hang them by the stall doors.
- Install spotlights with motion sensors around the farm.
- You may want to consider adding a light by the street if your gate opens to the road.
- Install alarm systems on your farm.
- Natural “animal” alarms such as dogs, guineas, peacocks, donkeys, etc should be considered.
- Give thought to your landscaping so that you can block visibility of your horses from the road. Be sure to keep trees and bushes trimmed so that thieves cannot find a place to hide.
- Keep fences in good repair. Turn the top hinge pin down on gate post down to prevent the gate frombeingremoved.
- Post warning and no-trespassing signs. This points out that you are taking care of your property and thinking about security.
- Don’t leave horse trailers parked near horses.
- Install a trailer lock so the trailer cannot be hooked up easily. We have talked with victims who not only had their horses stolen but had them whisked away in their own trailers. [Read this Fl case: Brandy and Honky Tonk Stolen from Wellington, FL with trailer, truck and tack.]
- Check horses often.
- Keep a record of visitors to your farm by writing down their vehicle tag number, or better yet, take a picture with your cell phone.
- Form a neighborhood watch. Make sure your neighbors are aware of horse theft.
View more stolen horses from Florida here.
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