A vet who was caught in a video kicking a horse in the face was later found dead in a picturesque park after being reported missing. Dr Shawn Frehner was reported missing earlier this month after footage showing him booting the animal in the face went viral, with several reacting with fury to the shock video.
His keys, phone and wallet were later discovered in his truck at Lake Mead in Las Vegas, Nevada, sparking a huge search of the popular national park. Tragically, the 56-year-old vet’s body was found two weeks later near the Boulder Islands on April 18. In the wake of the video going viral, Dr Frehner apologised in a social media post.
He said: “I did not blatantly haul off and kick this horse as it appears in the video. That was not my intention at all.
“It was done simply to get the horse in a better position so he could breathe and get up and move so I could again try to anesthetize.
“But, yes, I did kick him right in the chin and I very much do apologize and wish this never happened.”
It was reported in the US Dr Frehner was set to face charges for animal abuse when he vanished. Several of his clients spoke out in his behalf after his death was confirmed.
One said: “It’s terrible what some people have said about this man on social media and I don’t believe a word. Animals and especially horses are unpredictable and can be dangerous at times so his style might have been a little rough, but he was always concerned about carrying for the animals that he tended to.
“My condolences to Shawn’s family during this tragic time. Nevada lost a good Veterinarian and from what I heard a good family man.”
Another person, who was once hit by lightning in a strike which also killed one of their horses and injured another, added: “There are some people whose presence in your life changes you forever—Dr. Shawn Frehner was one of those people.
“He wasn’t just my veterinarian; he was my friend, my steady hand in times of crisis, and often the first to show up when life felt too heavy.
“I’ll never forget the day I was struck by lightning—the chaos, the heartbreak, and the miracle that two horses saved me. One of them didn’t survive, and Shawn was the one who came to help us say goodbye. It was a day that marked us both, and he never forgot it.
“Shawn gave so much to our horse community. He brought not just knowledge and care, but a deep empathy—for the horses and the people who love them. His loss is a wound in all of us, especially because it came from something so cruel and senseless.”
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