Southwest Miami-Dade horses stolen, found slaughtered
MIAMI - Two pet horses were stolen, slaughtered, and their remains were found dumped in southwest Miami-Dade.
"It's a terrifying feeling," said owner David Bradley.
He has owned the horses, named Sammy and War, for more than five years.
"They were like a big puppy, we'd go horseback riding with them all the time," he said.
On Friday, Bradley was told that the horses were no longer on his farm.
"I saw that the fence was cut and Sammy and War were nowhere to be found," he said.
On Saturday, Miami-Dade police and a Florida Fish and Wildlife officer found one of the horses a mile away on a dirt road.
The head and a few bones were the only remains found.
Monday evening, officials found the other horse's head, floating in a nearby canal.
Bradley believes these horses were killed for their meat.
"This is a big cultural thing. In Cuba, people believe that eating horse meat will cure things like AIDS and cancer," said Bradley. "That's like going into someone's yard, and eating their dog because they think it makes them grow wings, it's ridiculous."
Over the years, there have been similar reports of horse slaughtering, and illegal horse meat sales in the same SW Miami-Dade area.
There is a $50,000 reward for the tip that leads investigators to the killer.
"We will find you and you will pay for what you've done," said Bradley.