Horse Cachet stabbed, scalped in fatal attack at Epping

By Wayne Flower
From: Herald Sun
October 08, 2010

THE sickening stabbing and mutilation of a former champion show horse in Melbourne is one of the worst cases of animal cruelty, an RSPCA inspector says.

RSPCA senior inspector Daniel Bode today said the knife attack on 15-year-old dressage champion Cachet in an agistment paddock was "absolutely shocking".

"It's one of the worst cases I've seen," Mr Bode said today.

Mr Bode said the maximum penalty for aggravated animal cruelty in Victoria was two years imprisonment or a $24,000 fine.

"We'll be doing everything in our power to make sure that whoever has done this sort of cruelty is not allowed to do it again," he said.

Cachet's owner Michelle Azzopardi collapsed when she saw her beloved mare lying dead, covered with flies last Sunday in Epping.

"I was numb, in disbelief," she said, trying to hold back tears.

"My heart is broken. I haven't slept, I haven't eaten and not moved outside the house."

She said the image of Cachet dead and covered in blood keeps haunting her.

The senseless killing has been devastating for her and her family.

Willy, another family horse sharing the paddock with Cachet, is fretting for her friend and hasn't eaten all week.

Ms Azzopardi said Cachet must have been targeted.

Her paddock is off the road, away from other horses, and whoever did it would have had to walk up a long laneway to reach her, she said.

But the other mystery is Cachet is wary of strangers.

Ms Azzopardi said the mare would have run away or reared at an approaching stranger.

She said it must have been two or more attackers because the horse would have been too strong for one person to subdue.

"She had been stabbed three times at least and her neck had been scalped," Ms Azzopardi said.

"They cut her mane and cut at least two inches into her flesh down her neck.

"They have to be mentally sick for someone to do this to an innocent horse.

"She was beautiful, cheeky, she would run around the paddock and try to bite me, playing.

"If I took too long to feed her she would stamp her feet at me."

Ms Azzopardi last saw Cachet alive last Friday.

Police are appealing for anyone with any information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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