3 Horses Reported Missing in Sarasota County

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is asking residents to keep their eyes open for three missing horses.

The creatures, named Shooter, Spider and Velvet, went missing from a pasture off Dog Kennel Road sometime between 4 p.m. Sunday and 2 p.m. Tuesday, the agency said.

Shooter is a gray quarter horse gelding. He stands about 15.5 hands high and has a frozen “L” brand. Spider is described as a red roan Appaloosa gelding and Velvet is a dark gorilla paint quarter horse mare.

Owner Michelle Cristiani Gaster is offering a $1,000 reward for their safe return, several media outlets have reported.

See Also:

• Show Horse’s Slaughter Under Investigation

Gaster fears the horses have been taken for slaughter as was the case in a recent Manatee County incident. The Parrish horse theft occurred late last month when a show horse was taken from its stall while its owners slept in their home nearby. The animal was found dead with “large portions of meat cut from it and missing,” the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office reported.

Whether there’s a possible connection between the two cases has not yet been released. Sarasota investigators, however, are asking anyone with information about Shooter, Spider and Velvet to call 941-861-4087.

A possible suspicious vehicle was spotted off Dog Kennel Road around the time of the disappearance, deputies say. That vehicle is described as a white Dually pickup that was pulling a red stock trailer.

Photos courtesy of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office