Florida Authorities Issue Warning After Several Horses Slaughtered For Meat

The Sumter County Sheriff’s office in Florida has issued a warning to horse owners in the area after a number of horses have been slaughtered for their meat.

According to FOX 13 Tampa Bay, the warning came shortly after a family in Central Florida found their 10-year-old horse Jayda dead.

"Jayda was very loving and friendly with people she knew. I can not believe she went with them willingly," Tamara Weaver of Sumterville, FL said to FOX 13 Tampa Bay. "She was my happiness and my joy."

In addition to Jayda’s death, a thoroughbred horse was stolen from a property in Palmetto last week. The horse was later found slaughtered for its meat in a field.

On Tuesday Manatee County deputies posted a security video depicting the individual who they believe is a person of interest in the Palmetto incident. They are currently trying to identify the individual, and three rewards totaling $13,000 are being offered for information that leads to an arrest.

https://www.facebook.com/ManateeSheriff/videos/425361918368614/?v=425361918368614

In addition to these incidents, Tammy Davis of Ocala, FL, reported that her horse HotRod was attacked and killed on Thanksgiving.

“This was not an animal. There were no claw marks. These were nice, clean, cuts,” Davis told FOX 35. “They cut the meat from both sides of the body. It wasn’t just one side like it got attacked by a predator.”

According to investigators, incidents like these have been taking place more frequently throughout Florida and, according to WTXL Tallahassee, authorities said they will be performing extra patrols in areas where livestock is housed.

Below is a message from the Sumter County Sheriff's Office that was posted on their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/scsoflorida/photos/a.1137814809624597/3352896588116397/?type=3