Palm Beach Gardens rescue wants answers after 2 horses stolen, slaughtered in Miami

By Ari Hait

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    PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (WPBF) — Police in Miami are looking for whoever is responsible for stealing and slaughtering two horses over the weekend.

One of those horses was rescued and rehabilitated at an animal rescue in Palm Beach Gardens called Rescue Life.

“He really had a great personality,” said Meg Weinberger of Rescue Life. “He was very sweet and goofy and loving.”

Weinberger remembers rescuing the horse named War on the Homefront six years ago. She said he was with them for about nine months before a family in Miami adopted him.

Saturday afternoon, Weinberger got a call from that family telling her War on the Homefront and another horse had been stolen.

Weinberger immediately headed to Miami to help search.

“Still part of the family,” she said. “He’s still part of the fiber of our rescue, our hearts.”

The search was not successful, and Weinberger returned home. She got a call the next morning saying the horses had been found dead just a short distance from their home.

“The horses were slaughtered sometime over the weekend,” said Det. Alvaro Zabaleta of the Miami-Dade police.

Investigators said they believe thieves stole the horses for their meat.

“It’s just barbaric,” Weinberger said. “They eat them. They eat the horses. They sell their meat.”

“This is the same thing as going into somebody’s yard, taking their dog and cooking it,” said the owner of the horses, David Bradley.

Investigators are asking for tips from the public to help them find the thieves.

There’s a $50,000 reward available.

Weinberger said she hopes arrests are made soon so those responsible can not do it again.

“It’s absolutely barbaric. It’s heartless,” she said. “It makes you question humanity.”

Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

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