Veterinary student sold rescued horses to slaughterhouses for meat, former owners say

A veterinarian student landed behind bars last weekend after she allegedly promised to care for rescued horses, but sold them to slaughterhouses in Mexico for meat instead, AL.com reports. 

Fallon Danielle Blackwood, 24, who attends Tuskegee University, was indicted on 13 counts of bringing property obtained under false pretenses into Alabama.

According to a criminal complaint, Blackwood offered to “re-home horses” for owners who could no longer care for them.

“I found out she was arrested, and I just started crying,’’ said Lindsay Rosentrater. “It’s been a long time coming.”

Rosentrater told AL.com she and her husband contacted Blackwood to care for their horse “Willie” after learning she was pregnant with a child. 

“I felt like I didn’t have the time [Willie] truly deserved so I went out in search of a forever and loving retirement home for him,’’ Rosentrater said. “I posted an ad to my personal Facebook page, horse related Facebook groups and Craigslist. My ad was titled: ‘ISO Forever Loving Home For Sweet Retired Appendix Gelding.’”

Blackwood agreed to board her horse, but when Rosentrater requested a photo of the animal, Blackwood “wouldn’t send me one. I asked her repeatedly,” Rosentrater said. 

Rosentrater did some research and learned Blackwood had been flagged by rescue groups for allegedly “doing business with kill-buyers.”

Nearly 50 missing horse reports on Netposse.com are linked to Blackwood, Rosentrater said. 

“We have pretty strong indications [her horse] did get shipped into Mexico for slaughter,’’ Rosentrater told the online newspaper.
 
“They suffered a death that they didn’t deserve,” said Lisa Rudolph, another owner who said she entrusted her horse to Blackwood. “I think they were slaughtered.”

Blackwood was previously arrested on similar charges in April by authorities in North Carolina. She was accused of obtaining two horses under false pretense. She was arrested and booked into the Macon County Jail.

 “Thinking their horses were living their life out and then to find out they were slaughtered for different purposes, so it’s just a bad case,” Macon County sheriff Andre Brunson said of the owners at the time, WHNT reported.

Blackwood was released from the Blount County Jail after posting $15,000 bond and has returned to class, the newspaper reported. Tuskegee University officials have yet to comment on her arrest.