It's shocking that animal cruelty still exists in today's world
Posted By SCOTT ROWE
Posted 3 months ago
Animal lovers everywhere were once again shocked by the news of another horse mutilation in the state of Florida. The discovery of a thoroughbred mare's remains on a rural road in the Miami-Dade area has brought the grisly total to 21 related deaths since January of this year.
Law enforcement officials are trying to establish some motive behind the horse killings, but seem to turn up more questions than answers.
The main area of the crimes is a melting pot of different cultures, and it is known that some of these peoples consider horse meat as a quite acceptable food, even a delicacy. Other groups even believe that horse meat has medicinal qualities and curative powers that hold an almost miraculous healing ability.
If the killings were simply a matter of poaching for the animal's meat, it does not explain the strangely ritualistic method used by the perpetrators. In most cases, the poor creature's throat is slit, and, after the horse bleeds out and dies, only the front legs and intestines are removed. Certainly this would suggest an ineffective method for butchering if the meat is to be sold for financial gain.
Still, the investigation has led to anecdotal evidence that an underground 'black market' does exist for the sale of horse meat. Some officials are urging the practice of DNA registration, whereby an owner can have his or her horse tested and recorded for a fee of $35. It is hoped that the discovery of horse meat through future investigations can be identified with some of these murdered horses and linked to the people selling the meat.
A confusing story published by theMiami Heraldin September has also created another twist to the mystery.
TheHeraldreported that one of the horse victims found killed recently was a former thoroughbred racehorse named Kin Kisi who had competed at Calder Race Course. A further investigation of this horse revealed that no such horse by that name had ever raced at Calder, or was even registered as a thoroughbred with the record keeping organization, The Jockey Club.
Was this intent to mislead the public, or a simple case of mistaken identity by the caretaker who provided the information? Animal rights groups complained about the shoddy journalism and are demanding better reporting of the facts to help solve the crimes.
Legal slaughtering of horses for meat was once widely practised in the United States, but public perception has changed dramatically in the last few years. The last three horse slaughter houses in the U. S. were closed in 2007, and steps taken by federal agencies has prevented the opening of new facilities in States, where it is still considered legal.
Unfortunately, it is not considered a crime to export horses for slaughter to Canada or Mexico, where the practice is still condoned.
Perhaps the legislation has unintentionally helped to create a ring of conspirators willing to reap financial gain from the demands of some ethnic communities for horse flesh, or it could be just the demented work of some highly disturbed individual.
It is hoped for the sake of the defenceless animals that some answers are forthcoming soon.
Scott Rowe is the former chairman of the board at Georgian Downs.
