Brena Kramer of Zephyrhills Florida became aware that intruders were on her property when she heard her two rottweiler dogs making a commotion in the early hours of a Sunday. When she ran out, she discovered that they had attempted to steal her horses and believes they had also intended to slaughter them for meat.
Brena said she believed there were three intruders on her property who had entered the barn through a side gate. Living in a remote area of Zephyrhills, it’s likely she was targeted due to the little activity around. When she got to her horses, she discovered the power to the barn had been shut off as well.
She even found a rope left tied around one of her horse’s necks.
When she checked over her horses, she found cuts and scrapes as well as what could have been rope burn on their faces. She has no doubt that the people on her property had intended to harm them.
Lucky for Brena and for her horses, her two rottweilers were on hand to scare off the intruders. Barking and biting at them, the large dogs scared the intruders enough to keep her horses safe.
Three-year-old pup Dallas was left with two puncture marks on his head from an apparent struggle.
The hero dogs turned what could have been a horrendous incident for Brena into a very close call. With a spate of recent horse thefts and killings all over Florida, Brena herself was not surprised by what had happened.
“It’s common down south. It’s something that most horse owners know about, especially in Florida. This is more of a black market thing. It depends on where you go and who you know as to how much it sells for per pound.”
Horse meat can be sold for large amounts per pound, which police and horse owners in the area believe is the reason for these recent targeted attacks. In many cases, horse owners wake up to missing or dead horses, which can be devastating for a pet owner.
Pasco County Police Department have been alerted of the incident and are looking into the matter, urging other horse owners in the area to be vigilent and take any precautions they can for keeping their horses safe.
Many other police departments have been receiving caseslike Brena’s, but with much worse outcomes. In Manatee and Sumter County, cases hit the news of people cutting through fences, stealing horses, and butchering them for meat, leaving unwanted parts discarded nearby.
“They’re taking somebody’s baby, they’re taking somebody’s close personal pet,” said Tammy Weaver, whose pet horse Jada was stolen and killed in Bushnell Florida recently.
Brena’s dogs serve as an example of safeguarding practices that can prevent further cases like this from happening. Other examples include utilizing powerful floodlights, having secure gates and fences, and an alarm system for outside entry onto the property. Share information with neighbors and other horse owners, and report any suspicious behavior to the police.
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