FOX 13 investigates: Sale of horse meat on the black market
Genevieve Curtis reports
BROOKSVILLE, Fla. – Animal rights activists in Hernando County protested outside the courthouse on Friday and demanded action against the black market trade in horse meat.
Protesters said they wanted the Hernando County sheriff and district attorney to arrest those accused of operating an illegal slaughterhouse and killing a former racehorse named “Funny Biz.”
Some in the community said they had been complaining about the farm for years without any action being taken.
RELATED: Hernando County men accused of killing a horse leave farm and flee with animals
“We continue to come together and demand justice for Funny Biz and all the animal victims who fell victim to the monster at the end of Vicki Lane,” said Diane Moreton.
Moreton said she was one of those who complained after witnessing animals being slaughtered alive. The Suncoast Trail runs alongside the Brooksville property, providing a clear view to walkers, cyclists and joggers passing by.
Moreton said what she saw still haunts her.
“I started screaming and panicking, that’s all I can say,” she said.
READ: Hernando County Sheriff and District Attorney respond to activist criticism
The neighbors have the impression that their complaints have been ignored by the police.
Back: Farm abandoned in the wake of horse meat investigation
FOX 13 has learned that the Hernando County farm at the center of a horse meat investigation has been abandoned and several animals have been taken.
The same farm is said to have killed a former racehorse, Funny Biz, in November 2023. Her death was captured on undercover video by the animal rights group Animal Recovery Mission (ARM), which works to expose the black market trade in horse meat.
In December 2023, the Sheriff’s Office received this video documenting the horse being killed and sold for its meat.
“They have been presented with a lot of evidence and have had plenty of time to gather evidence themselves,” said Shannon Blair, one of the activists protesting on Friday. “It is obvious that many serious cases of animal cruelty have taken place on this property. They know who the perpetrators are and we want them to make arrests so that these animals have not died in vain.”
After FOX 13’s investigation first aired in July, the property’s owner said his tenants packed up most of their animals and fled in the middle of the night. About a week later, the sheriff’s office picked up the animals that were left behind.
PREVIOUS: Activists call for arrests after slaughter of former racehorse on unlicensed farm in Brooksville
No charges have been filed and the sheriff’s office said two cases remain under investigation.
“This is unreal. They’re supposed to protect the innocent, they’re supposed to look after the vulnerable and the weak,” Blair said.
When FOX 13 visited the farm, skulls and remains of horses and other animals were on display.
The activists said they would continue their efforts until arrests were made.
Related coverage: Former owner devastated after racehorse slaughtered
FOX 13 tried to find out how Funny Biz, a registered Thoroughbred racehorse, ended up being killed for his meat in Hernando County.
“There aren’t many laws protecting these animals, or at least the few that exist are enforced. I mean, it’s pathetic,” Blair said.
MORE: Undercover video shows racehorse dismembered on camera
Some of the animals removed from the abandoned farm, including five pigs and some chickens and roosters, are currently at the Hernando County Animal Shelter. The shelter’s director said they are all doing well.
The district has arranged for the animals to be handed over to ARM, where they will spend the rest of their lives in a sanctuary.
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