Law enforcement authorities in Broward County, Fla., are hoping tipsters can lead them to whoever stole a horse, then apparently butchered it for its meat.

In recent years, the remains of more than 20 horses butchered for meat have been discovered Florida. Most of the incidents have taken place in Miami-Dade County; however, in 2009 the butchered remains of two Paso Fino horses were discovered in Miramar, Fla.

Broward Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Jim Leljedal said that on Aug. 18, the horse’s owner reported that the animal had been stolen from its corral in Southwest Ranches, Fla. The horse’s butchered remains were later discovered nearby, he said. The killing is the first to have taken place in the Southwest Ranches area of Broward County, Leljedal said.

If caught, those responsible for the incident could face felony criminal charges that carry possible maximum penalties of fines up to $5,000 and five years in prison, Leljedal said