Horse veterinarian found dead in Lake Mead after being reported missing a week ago
'He believes in nurturing the human-animal bond and creating a harmonious relationship between people and animals,' the veterinarian's bio reads on his website.
The body of a Las Vegas man who was reported missing earlier this month has been recovered, officials said.
The man was found by Boulder Islands at Lake Mead on April 18, according to a National Park Service spokesperson. Rescue crews responded to the area and recovered the body.
The Clark County Coroner's Office identified the deceased individual as 56-year-old Shawn Frehner. The office told Paste BN that Frehner's cause and manner of death are pending.
Frehner accused of animal cruelty before going missing
Frehner's father notified the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police about his disappearance on April 6, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal and KSNV.
The horse veterinarian's personal items, including his keys and cellphone, were found inside a deserted truck at Lake Mead, the outlets reported.
Frehner's disappearance and death come on the heels of backlash from advocates over a viral video that sparked accusations of animal cruelty. The clip obtained by KSNV appears to show Frehner kicking a horse in the face and pulling it with a lasso around its neck.
Frehner apologized, but authorities said there was an open criminal investigation against him, KLAS reported. His family told KSNV they last spoke with him on April 6.
“I did not blatantly haul off and kick this horse as it appears in the video. That was not my intention at all,” Frehner wrote in his apology, per KLAS. “It was done simply to get the horse in a better position so that 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.”
According to Frehner's website, he provided "state-of-the-art medical care for your four-legged companions."
"He believes in nurturing the human-animal bond and creating a harmonious relationship between people and animals," his bio reads.
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for Paste BN. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com.