Race horse meat was served under the guise of beef to visitors to the municipal canteen in Mersin, Turkey, with the aim of providing free food to those in need.
The truth came to light thanks to the vigilance of one of the restaurant’s patrons, who found an electronic chip on his plate that is used to identify sporting animals. Further investigation revealed that the victim of the scam was a four-year-old racehorse winner named Smart Latch.
After being injured in competition, the horse had to be sent for rehabilitation to the Children’s Equestrian Club. However, the animal never reached its destination. The carrier committed a crime and delivered the horse to an illegal butcher.
He killed the horse, then sold the meat to budget cafeteria suppliers, passing it off as regular beef. This case caused public outrage. Although horse slaughter is not legally a crime in Türkiye, it is considered a strict cultural taboo in the country, the tabloid reported. Daily Mail.
Another high-profile case occurred in the spring of 2025, when it became known that an employee of a Czech veterinary clinic cut off the noses of euthanized dogs and took them from work.