A veterinarian in Nevada, who was reportedly caught on video kicking a horse in a clip that went viral on social media, is now missing, as per various reports. Authorities have stated that he is currently the focus of a criminal investigation. 

On April 3, Dr. Shawn Frehner was called to give anesthetic shots to horses at a property in Pahrump, approximately 60 miles west of Las Vegas, according to Shawna Gonzalez, the property’s owner, who spoke to 8 News Now. “I heard [my mother] yell, ‘Oh my God. He just kicked him,’” Gonzalez said, per the outlet. “Oh my God, Mom, he’s choking,” she added. “He wrapped the horse around his neck three times, and he kicked him in the head.”

Gonzalez stated that the horse received treatment for abrasions on its skull and other injuries, according to the outlet. Following this incident, she has advocated for animal cruelty charges to be filed against Frehner, as reported by 8 News Now. Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill confirmed to the outlet that there is an ongoing criminal investigation into Frehner, but no arrests have been made yet.

Vet Defends Himself in Viral Video

Frehner has addressed the allegations in a social media post. “I did not blatantly haul off and kick this horse as it appears in the video. That was not my intention at all,” Frehner said, per 8 News Now. “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.”

Currently, authorities from various agencies are on the lookout for Frehner, who is believed to have gone missing, according to the Review-Journal and Fox 5 Vegas. “The search for a missing individual at Lake Mead National Recreation Area is ongoing,” the National Park Service said in a statement to PEOPLE on April 8.

#Clique, what are your thoughts?