Police hunting serial horse abuser

Police say they have received hundreds of tips and several names of possible suspects as they are investigating a spate of horse abuse cases that have been taking place all over the Netherlands.

The high quantity of tips was prompted by Wednesday night’s edition of the TV program “Opsporing Verzocht”; the program reported that police know of 60 cases in which horses had been mistreated. The animals –mostly mares- were found with severe cuts in their rears. Horses were abused all over, from Noord-Holland to Limburg, but also in Oost- Brabant, Zuid-Gelderland and Utrecht.

“Viewers of Opsporing Verzocht gave some 400 tips, plus we received 10 more new cases of horse abuse,” police say.

Many people also called about a wooden stick that police believe was left behind by the animal abuser; police say callers said the stick reminded them of something painters use. Tipgivers told police several names of people who could be linked to the abuse. Police say the suspect is likely someone who knows about horses, because he was able to get close to the animals to cut them.

The Expertise Center Animal Welfare in Driebergen is analyzing the tips.