Anti-Gay Arson Claims The Lives Of 7 Horses, 1 Foal

On the night of Sunday, April 24, Brent Whitehouse of McConnelsville, Ohio awoke to find his barn engulfed in flames. Whitehouse dialed 911, but it was already too late. The blaze was out of control. Seven horses and one foal died in the fire, which Ohio’s state fire marshal is now calling a case of arson.

“I couldn’t get the door open, I could still hear the horses kicking, and I tried as hard as I could to get them out, [but] I just couldn’t get them out in time,” Whitehouse told WhizNews.com. “I just can’t believe somebody would do something like this, and do this to poor animals.”

What spurred this senseless, heart-breaking crime? The words “FAGS ARE FREAKS”, spray-painted on the side of the barn, suggests the horses died as victims of violent homophobia. Whitehouse, their owner, is gay.

The arson has stunned Whitehouse’s friends. “Whatever his sexual orientation was, it had nothing to do with him as a person,” said Yvette Yeadon, who had frequently worked with the animals. “And to take it out on these innocent horses was beyond any fathom of what anybody should ever do to anybody.”

Yeadon told WhizNews.com that the foal was only one week old, and one of the other horses was pregnant — she was expected to give birth later this week.

Investigators are still looking for the culprits and asking anyone with information about the fire or the anti-gay graffiti to come forward. Oddly, authorities are not calling this a hate crime.

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Photo by Peter J. Markham, Loretto, MN

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Ely C.

6:54AM PST on Nov 9, 2011

not a hate crime? are they sitting on their heads (putting it nicely as I can), or are their brains out for maintenance? I hope they find whoever did this disgusting, horrifying thing--and string them up.

I especially hope they're found by horse lovers. If they'd done this in the old west, where horse stealing got a man hung---there would have been justice for sure.

send a green star

Lisa M.

6:25AM PDT on Jul 28, 2011

Whoever committed this heartbreaking, evil act of violence and hatred should be set on fire and burned within inches of death and left to live a horrible, disfigured and completely disabled existence for the rest of their useless lives. I hate them and I would feel no remorse whatsoever. They are nothing but the spawn of evil and should be suffer a worse fate than what they have inflicted upon the innocent animals they tortured and killed, and also the innocent man and compassionate caregiver and guardian who obviously has done nothing but exemplify compassion and kindness.

Kathryn B.

3:48AM PDT on Jul 28, 2011

This is an act of TERRORISM!! Who needs the bogeymen in the middle east. The evil monsters are right here, right now!! DEVILS in human skin. Skinning someone like this alive is TOO GOOD of a punishment for the cold-blooded MURDER of innocents.

All of you who have innocent animal companions and could be targeted for whatever reason ought to have emergency plans in place so horrible tragedies like this can be averted. There are too many MURDERS like this taking place all over this country. Our voiceless friends need us to do that for them. I am ever vigilant and very protective of my furred and feathered "family."

3:29AM PDT on Jul 28, 2011

This is what happens when "religious" leaders? and idiotic politicians inflame ignorant people with their intractable, hideous hatred and intolerance. Those poor horses harmed NO ONE!!! What a cowardly piece of human debris to cause so much needless suffering to those who could not defend themselves!! I sincerely hope the crud who caused this suffers SEVERE punishment.

Carolina A.

3:08PM PDT on Jul 19, 2011

OMG! It reminded me of those films based on the fifties with the KKK attacking innocent people!!! How sad...

Emma S.

3:44AM PDT on Jul 18, 2011

Not a hate crime, then. So what do the authorities think the motivation was...?

Nancy V.

5:36AM PDT on Jul 15, 2011

Won't those 'religious freaks' be surprised when they die and meet the devil instead of Christ? It wouldn't be "Christian' to wish the same suffering to them but all the same.... may they suffer horribly as those innocent animals did.............

Virginia E.

10:57PM PDT on Jul 14, 2011

punish those cruel s.o.b deserve maximum penalities, owbinhumane innocent animals that don't have anything todo with their problems

Lindsey W.

7:14PM PDT on Jul 14, 2011

Oh my god...

Robyn O.

6:55PM PDT on Jul 14, 2011

The more I see of people, the more I love animals. They don't profess moral and religious superiority -- they only have it naturally. I wish all animal facilities had 24 hour supervision.