Story by as published on Channel 12 TV
“They’re like family and to see something like this happen it just breaks your heart,”
MESA, Ariz. – A family of Salt River Wild Horses went from 9 to 8 members after one of the band’s youngest foals, a 6-month-old horse called Kai by local observers, was chased down shot and killed.
“This is absolutely horrible to us, these horses are our family,” said Simone Netherlands, the president of the Salt River Wild Horses Management Group.
SRWHMG is a non-profit that tracks and watches over the various bands of wild horses in the area.
Netherlands says shots from what’s believed to be a shotgun also injured two other horses, and the horrific brutality didn’t end there.
“We can’t imagine who would do such a thing and the most horrible part of it is that the genitals were removed off of the dead horse,” she said.
Volunteers say someone mutilated Kai after the baby horse went down from multiple gunshot wounds, some to the head and neck.
READ: Suspect allegedly killed, mutilated Salt River horse
Another wild horse, named Dotty, was shot and killed near the Salt River around this same time last year.
“An animal you’re not going to eat, it’s not bothering you, it doesn’t attack you,” said volunteer Jake Jacobson.
“They’re like family and to see something like this happen it just breaks your heart,” said Mary Ann Jacobson, another volunteer with the management group.
Volunteers tracked the band of horses Monday night to check on the two also injured. The good news is that they seemed to be healing on their own.
The suspect is only described as a man, wearing a dark green shirt and black shorts or underwear. Witnesses told investigators he was with two other people.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s office said Monday night it was mobilizing a mounted posse to look for evidence and investigate the shootings.
“It’s getting out of hand, they’ve got to stop this guy whoever it is,” said Jake.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call MCSO. A reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest.
The Salt River Wild Horse Management group is trying to increase the reward money with a GoFundMe page.
Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Will they ever find this guy?? I doubt it. All they have to go on is that it was a guy with dark green shirt and a pair of black shorts or underwear. I think they need more information to ID somebody.
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Now days how do we know a suspect is a guy or a woman?
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Just awful and disgusting. But I’m not surprised with all the out of hand with what is going on. But removing genitals sounds more ritualistic. But that could just be covering for something else. A true coward.here!! It goes to.show you how some people value the life of an animal. Who ever harmed these horses should be strung up in a tree like they did in the old West for Horse theft. I sure hope they don’t just get a pat on the hand. And what low life lawyer would represent someone like that???
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This is our country now, full of criminals and mindless barbaric savages. NO animals are safe any more, and neither are humans. Until murderers are apprehended and justice is served this will just get worse. Our horses have suffered from our government, driven from their own land, tortured, killed, and sold to heathens to be starved and abused. Now, unprotected, they are mutilated, tortured and killed by ignorant fiends. America has sunk to the bottom.
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Vile and cowardly. Of course this whatever would harm a baby, because an adult male horse would have kicked his head in and they wouldn’t have the courage for that. Too bad that wasn’t the end result, fingers crossed! 🙂 I wonder if it is connected to that other horse shooting where they seemed to have a more difficult time succeeding? We always try to ignore this violent and depraved part of ourselves, but by ignoring it, we as a nation are complicit in it. It is truly sickening, all around. It is obviously someone who wants these horses removed or sterilized.
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I will not put in print what I am thinking should happen to this person (… but it is the same that he did to the horse).
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Coincidentally, another Salt River horse was killed a year ago. This must be like a holiday for horse killers like 9/11 is to jihadists. Can’t we just drone this guy? (Understand that reference?) But, in all seriousness, it’s law enforcement’s job to bring him to justice, not ours. Still, if you have any information on this, please share it. And if you want donate to the reward fund, have at it.
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I HOPE WHO EVER DID THIS TO THIS BABY !!!!!!! GETS CAUGHT, JAILED, FINED, & SOMEONE DOES TO THEM WHAT THEY DID TO THIS POOR INNOCENT FOAL!!!! YOU SICK SOB’S I PRAY GOD SENDS HIS WATH UPON YOU !!!!!TAKE HIS GUNS AND NOT ALLOWED HIM AROUND ANIMALS; EVER OR HUMANS BECAUSE THIS THING IS A SAVAGE!!!!LET ME HAVE HIM ALONE….!!!!!! I LOVE HORSES MORE THAN ANYTHING. SICK MF!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Going to the river & seeing the horses is such a priceless gift for me. I have spent so many hours just watching them, taking pictures, envying their freedom, & appreciating their beauty. Even after seeing them on a regular basis for so many years now, I still get so excited every time our paths cross. It’s so therapeutic for my soul. I was devastated when I heard about the shootings. It’s so disturbing that people like that exist. No conscience, no morals, no compassion. In my opinion, not even worthy of being called a man. To the lowlife coward that committed this horrific crime, I say this to you…..You are a pathetic piece of s**t and I can’t wait for the day karma pays you back for this cruel, senseless tragedy!
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Unfortunately, there has been talk for years with some of the state wild horses in northern Nevada that some monsters posing as people in the communities where the wild horses roam, many since they were born, have stealthily killed and butchered yearlings because “that’s the best meat”.
Of course, they’re never caught because some people are too afraid of retaliation against them or their families (including their animals, or even their favorite wild horses) to speak up about what they know.
Then there are the cowardly thrill-killers that are only “brave enough” to kill a non-aggressive wild horse just because they can.
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Looks like there is a psychopathic serial killer on the loose in Phoenix. Only a totally f****d up mind will shot a baby colt and remove his genitals. Sheriff needs to take this seriously before whoever did this jumps from horses to people.
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Daniel, I agree. My thought was this was some sort of macho prank or rite of passage. If someone needed horse testicles for legitimate reasons they are not hard to find through veterinarians who regularly castrate domestic horses. Anyone who would do this to a harmless foal (and with what had to have been some frantic shotgun shooting where there could be people around) evidently has no value for life, including (his? her? their?) own.
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2 injured Salt River horses located, rescue group says
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/mesa/2016/10/25/2-injured-salt-river-horses-located-rescue-group-says/92736950/
The two missing horses that were shot Friday night by an unknown gunman have been found, according to a horse rescue group.
According to Simone Netherlands, the president of the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group, search groups went looking for the rest of the deceased foal’s band, or family group.
The rest of the band was found Monday morning, including the two injured horses, she said.
The two horses were being monitored, and Netherlands said barring any infections, they likely would recover, Netherlands said.
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These people r MONSTERS & their is nothing they would not do to kill all WILD HORSES, BURROS, WOLVES, BUFFALOS, MOUNTAIN LIONS, BEARS & COYOTES & ALL the rest of AMERICAS NATIVE WILDLIFE.
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Wildlife Services under USDA could be enforcing E. O. 13112, the written policy that calls for eradication of animals that are classified as non-native. Apparently our gov is not interested in setting the record right despite the written scientific history of American and British scientists from the mid-1800’s through today. The other possibility may be some one interested in mining the copper in the area. And then there is always someone who is plain evil. Where female horses are shot and stolen, I tend to suspect fed. agencies trying to destroy genetic diversity.
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And the thought of him mutilating the body by cutting out the genitals really points to a very sick evil person… who is now on the lose in a town or neighborhood this very minute.
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Thank you R.T and everyone here. We are all just absolutely horrified. The reward money right now is at a little over $12,000.
All we can do is hope that that will motivate someone to do the right thing and turn this “person” in. For updates, please like and share our FB page. Thank you for the support!
Simone.
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