Horses being killed in South Florida -- for their meat?
 

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/08/10/...red/index.html

Horses being killed in South Florida -- for their meat?

* Story Highlights
* SPCA investigator calls horse slaughterings South Florida's "dirty little secret"
* At least 19 horses have been butchered in two counties since January
* Owner laments killing of Geronimo, a painted quarter horse
* It is legal in some cultures to trade in horse meat, SPCA investigator says

By Kim Segal and John Zarrella
CNN

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Geronimo was a beautiful painted quarter horse.

"He was a type of horse that he got along with everybody," says owner Ivonne Rodriguez. She had Geronimo for five years -- until his slaughtered carcass was found under a tree.

For Geronimo, home was a 10-acre pasture in a rural area of Miami-Dade County. The horse, Rodriguez says, made many people happy over the years.

"He was ridden by everybody," she says. "He was irreplaceable."

Geronimo had a distinct look -- brown and white, with a thick white stripe that ran from his forehead to his nose. It was this mark that helped a neighbor identify Geronimo after he was reported missing.

Someone is killing horses in Southeast Florida.

Since January, 19 horses have been reported butchered -- 17 in Miami-Dade County and two in Broward County.

And that might be just a conservative estimate.

"That number is extremely low," says Richard "Kudo" Couto of the South Florida Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "There are many more slaughters in South Florida."

Couto, an SPCA investigator, says many butcherings are going unreported by people who do not want to get involved with law enforcement. Police concede that underreporting of such animal cruelty crimes is a concern.

The reported deaths are being investigated by a multiagency team that includes Scott Andress from the Miami-Dade Police Department.

"In the majority of these cases, the carcasses exhibited signs of being slaughtered and dismembered, and the meat removed from the bodies," Andress says.

Couto says the killing of horses for their meat is South Florida's "dirty little secret." But it is a secret no longer, with the number of reported horse deaths on the rise.

"At this point in the investigation, we're attempting to confirm the existence of a black market demand," Andress says. VideoWatch why horse owners are terrified »

Law enforcement authorities say it may be premature to focus solely on a killing-horses-for-meat theory. But Couto believes that is exactly what is happening And, he says, it has been going on for years.

The SPCA's Couto says he knows firsthand that there is a black market for horse meat. He even quotes prices -- a pound of horse meat might sell for anywhere from $7 to $20, with one recent report of $40 for a pound in Broward County.

The interest in the meat stems from cultural demand, according to Couto. The Miami area is a melting pot, he says, made up of many nationalities.

"In their country of origin, horse meat is legal to buy and eat," Couto explains.

He also says people may be interested in horse meat because of a false belief that it will cure medical ailments such as AIDS or ease the side effects of chemotherapy.

Andress may not want to pinpoint a motive yet, but he does admit that killing the animals is not the perpetrator's main goal. The goal comes afterward, he explains, with "whatever activity they engaged in postmortem."

In some instances of the grisly "activity" to which Andress refers, the only evidence of a crime is a bare carcass left at the scene.

Like Geronimo.

"Not only was my horse stolen, he was butchered," Rodriguez says.

She believes her beloved horse was tied to a palm tree, and she points out stains that appear to be blood. She thinks he was an easy target.

"Geronimo is a type of horse -- my goodness, if you had an apple in your hand, he's your best friend."

Whoever slaughtered Geronimo concealed the carcass with a tarp and palm fronds. It was found in a rural area near the pasture the animal called home.

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Now, I'm going to go way out there and share my first thought when I read this, regardless of the backlash for stereotyping etc...


This is not a common animal consumed in American culture. Like the article said, considering the geographical area of south Florida and the immense amount of immigrants, i would point the finger there.

Either way, I makes me mad that someone would kill, then eat a pet, someone elses pet at that. There are a few things that i would be willing to go to jail for, my family, my property, and my pets.

Other than stealing someone's pet, what is wrong with butchering horses for meat from horses raised for that purpose or when culling wild horse herds? Yet, IIRC, there are laws against it. Or dogs that are discarded and euthanized anyway. Am I that far outside the main stream?

Actually, if you discount "English" speaking countries,, No, your not..

Any meat that hits the table to feed someone that is hungry,, is GTG..

Problem here is we have individuals that are not hungry, They are trying to make a fast buck..

And I hope they're caught... :mad:

Howie, what could be wrong with this? Well. . . it is (as you stated) illegal. I gather you have never read anything by Louis L'Amore. I think one of the Sacketts might respond,"Maam, Twouldn't be right, no way that thar be right. No Ma'am".
Have you met my buddy, Atilla?:p

Horse Rustlers/butchers
 

I have never ate horse meat. My father did when he was in Europe back in the day. Said that it's not very tender and, to him, tasted bad. If people want to eat horse meat here that's fine with me, but you have to change the law first. We already slaughter hundreds to thousands of horses each day for numerous things. Heck, that'd help us out here with recouping costs on horses when they break legs, die, founder, etc.

That said, I hope that if they find these suckers they execute them, and I do mean execute. Killing a man's horse in my book is about as low as a person can get.

FCW

I am curious how much different a horse and a moose taste. But, not that curious to find out myself.

Meat is meat
 

Meat is Meat.

Depends on how it was raised, what it ate, what cut you got and how it's fixed.

It's the doin' people pets that wrong. It's doin' an animal that don't belong to you that's wrong. It's breaking the law that's wrong.

There are kill buyers at horse auctions and sale barns around the country. It's been fifteen years since I raised horses, but back then killers paid around 30 cents a pound at the auctions. They used to be slaughtered in the US but now I think they are shipped to Mexico or Canada for slaughter. I know I sold a horse or two that went to slaughter. Then again, I also didn't take a horse that I had raised from a colt and was really fond of to the sale barn for fear there the only bidder would be a killer.

Horses aren't as efficient grain and grass converters as cattle, so at least in the US horses aren't raised specifically for meat.

In my experience there is a big difference. I would gather that a lot has to do with the factors that Pete mentioned, but after eating horse in Europe and moose on many occasions, I would prefer Bullwinkle to Mr. Ed:eek:.

I have.... Tastes pretty yummy actually....

The shutting down of the horse slaughtering business, thanks to PETA and others, coupled with the bad economy, has left thousands of abandoned horses around the country. Out west here all the horse rescue shelters have been overwhelmed.
It's lean meant and can be okay if prepared right. Not as good as Moose or venison. Beef is preferable. I wonder why it's okay to kill those cute baby cows but not the cayuse?

I had some Horse meat burgers during a NATO exercise in Norway. Sweet lean and honestly pretty good. I'd eat it again.

It's available in a number of European countries, the UK among them, Canada, Chile, China, Japan, a few Eastern Bloc countries. If you were/are stationed in Belgium or Italy you might have some and never know, had any sauerbraten lately. It was what was for dinner in the U.S. during WWII, and during the economic inflation years 1951 and 1973. Harvard University's Faculty Club had horse meat on the menu for over one hundred years until 1985, and later on request.

I'm not sure how illegal it is in the States, a statement made a couple of years ago by a USDA spokesman declared it was legal to eat. Most laws I found seem State and local, buying/selling. It is legal for a horse owner to slaughter and eat their own horse in Florida. It is illegal for slaughter in California and Illinois (the Illinois law signed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich). The slaughter houses in other states have been closed regardless, but it still seems to be legal to export. Horse meat is still available in the U.S. at least as carnivore animal (pet, circus animal) food.

The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) are among those who oppose U.S. laws banning slaughter.

Still the horse in the article belonged to someone, what happened was wrong.

In my experience, it all makes good sausage. :D

But as Pete said, it's the doin' people's pets that's wrong - doin' an animal that doesn't belong to you that's wrong - breaking the law that's wrong - unless you're in a genuine survival situtation, of course. ;)

Richard's $.02 :munchin

Burgers
 

Almost anything makes good burgers if you mix a little ground pork in it.

I remember as a kid in Northern Michigan we'd have bear burgers. Somebody would get a bear and grind most of it up and give it away to neighbors. Many a mom made a fast dash to the commisary for ground pork and then spent an afternoon mixing and forming burgers and into the freezer they went - to be enjoyed over the winter.

20 below, 4 feet of snow and the grill going on the patio. Good times.

Ah, smelt in milk cartons - another winter treat.