Since the beginning of the year a total of 19 horses have allegedly been slaughtered in South Florida. 17 of these alleged slaughterings took place in Miami-Dade County. The question that remains to be answered is why, exactly, are these horses being killed?The Chicago Sun-Times reports on their blog that animal rights advocates believe the horses are being slaughtered for their meat, which, in some foreign cultures, is considered a delicacy. Indeed, CNN.com reports that South Florida’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’s Richard Couto firmly believes there is a black market for horse meat. According to Cuoto, “ a pound of horse meat might sell for anywhere from $7 to $20, with one recent report of $40 for a pound of meat sold in Broward County.”
Miami-Dade County police officer Scott Andress has reached the same conclusion as Cuoto as to why the animals were killed. According to Andress, ‘"In the majority of these cases, the carcasses exhibited signs of being slaughtered and dismembered, and the meat removed from the bodies[.]"’ The horse killings are currently being investigated by a multi-agency team that includes the Miami-Dade County police department.
To read the CNN.com story on the slaughterings click here.
To read the Chicago Sun-Times blog post on the situation click here.
Posted: 08/11/09
