BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A Brevard County woman was arrested on Monday after she was accused of stabbing a horse, according to Sheriff Wayne Ivey.
Jail records show that the woman — identified as 69-year-old Shirley Zimmerley — was taken into custody on Monday afternoon, though the offenses were originally reported on July 26.
Sheriff Ivey said that Zimmerley stabbed a horse several times in front of a child who was at a horse ranch to get therapy.
“She stabbed a freaking horse with a knife!” Ivey said. “Then, took and started whipping the horse because she was ‘frustrated’ over the horse’s behavior.”
Per the sheriff, the incident “devastated” the child, who went home and reported it to their parents, who in turn alerted the sheriff’s office.
“When our team got here, they not only found that the horse had been stabbed multiple times; they found that the horse was a three out of nine on the body scale. Three out of nine,” Ivey continued. “So here it was, malnourished, and it still got stabbed on top of it and then violently beat with a whip.”
Furthermore, Ivey stated that Zimmerley claimed a “cat did that,” referring to the horse’s injuries.
Ivey also said that other horses had open sores on them, resulting in several citations and a mandate to seek out veterinary care.
Zimmerley now faces a felony charge of animal cruelty, as well as two misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. She was released Tuesday on bond of $12,000.