The Animal Recovery Mission (ARM) is offering a $25,000 reward leading to the arrest and conviction of the criminal(s) responsible for the theft and suspected butchering of two pet horses, Canela (6-month-old filly) and Venus (2 year-old-old filly), after they were stolen from their home on Friday, August 11th.
The stolen horses were led through a fence at the back of the property that perpetrators deconstructed sometime between 2 and 4am on Friday. There is a grave concern that the fillies were preyed upon and have become the victims of the black-market horse meat trade. This illegal activity promotes violent butchering of horses to sell their meat for human consumption – an industry that has plagued the state of Florida for decades.
ARM was contacted immediately by the owner of the horses after they were discovered missing from the private property located in the secluded Rolling Oaks area of Southwest Ranches, Florida. This area is close to the World Class Equestrian Center, which has cast a shadow of fear for the safety of both the residents and their beloved animals in this prominent horse community.
This crime follows the slaughter of two other horses, War and Sammy, after their remains were found dumped along a canal earlier this year in Homestead, Florida, another horse slaughter hot spot.
ARM, along with the Davie Police Department, are actively investigating this case. The slaughter of horses is a 3rd degree felony crime in the state of Florida.
In 2010, ARM was instrumental in the passing of the Good Horse Slaughter Act, making the buying, selling, transporting, and killing of a horse for human consumption, and possessing horse meat, a felony in Florida. Perpetrators may face a minimum of one-year imprisonment and a $3,500 fine.
If you have any information regarding this case, please contact Animal Recovery Mission’s Report A Crime Hotline, HERE!
You can also contact the Davie Police Department tip line at (954) 693-8200.
