Zaid Suleiman Ali, 35, was charged with aggravated animal cruelty and killing or aggravated abuse of a horse in connection with several anonymous calls about the animals on his five-acre property at 3830 Dairy Rd., a property that runs up to the heavily-traveled roadway.
He was arrested Monday and released from the Brevard County Jail Complex on a $21,000 bond.
"This is all an exaggeration. My property is extremely visible. People have been calling over the past ten years about the horses having no shade when there are stalls in the back," said Ali, who owned four horses and who would occasionally have sheep on the small pasture.
He also believes that he may have been targeted by the callers because of his Islamic faith and his previous advertisements for ritual slaughter of animals like sheep associated with the worldwide faith.
Brevard County Animal Services and sheriff's deputies were at the property on Feb. 7 after callers reported seeing horses in poor condition wandering the grounds.
"They were anonymous and reported animal neglect, mostly passers-by that were worried about the animal," said Cpl. David Jacobs, spokesman for the Brevard County Sheriff's Office.
Jacobs said the issue has to do with the horses and has nothing to do with Ali's faith.
I like how he tries to turn this into an anti-Muslim thing. Feed your horse, idiot, regardless of whether you're a Muslim, Christian, Jew or atheist.
Ali was ordered to comply with veterinary recommendations regarding feed and other conditions.
Investigators said, however, that the horse's medical condition was too severely diminished and that the animal had to be euthanized.
Ali disagreed.
"There are so many points, the sheriff's office said that they had no water but I have automatic water in each stall. They came in and killed my horse. Sammy was 27 years old, that's 80 or 140 human years, depending on who you talk to. This was a very old horse and lived through many things, like being lame. I treated them day in and day out," Ali said, adding that he cried as he and his family members asked authorities not to put the animal down.
"Then they said in one of their reports that I had no remorse. I have two dogs and they are fine. You just can't say there was no water when there was water available to them and no food when there is grass," Ali said.
There were three other horses that animal enforcement officers said were not being cared for to standard. They have been rehabilitated back to health and may be placed up for adoption in other homes.
A court date has not yet been set.
(Florida Today - Mar 4, 2015)
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