Animal Cruelty - Dr. Horn Flashcards
The link
“violence against animals is considered both a potential indictor and predictor or concurrent or future child maltreatment, domestic violence, and elder abuse” and mistreatment is no longer an isolated event and is often a predictor or red flag to other violence.
Reasons people are cruel to animals
- control over a person close to the animal
- retaliation
- animal fighting for sport/money
- target practice
- shock factor - attention getting device
- displaced aggression
- sexual gratification
- acting out abuse they have suffered
Percent of people in abuse cases that had an animal threatened or hurt by an abuser
71%
__% - __% of women entering a safe home put off escape due to an animal they didn’t want to leave behind
18-42
Process of assessment and intake
1) observe
2) exam
3) record - story may change KEEP TRACT OF STORY
4) contact investigator and veterinarian
5) know and follow protocols
Importance of caretakers of animals
They are the eyes and ears for this animal and its case and their voice. Make sure we are sticking to the plan created by the veterinarian specific to their case.
What is a tech’s job?
- safe restraint for exams
- photo evidence
- provide prescribed treatment
- forensic necropsy
- diagnostics
Veterinarian as an expert witness
- examine, diagnose, develop treatment plans
- write formal reports
- testify to facts
- offer opinions on evidence
- answer hypothetical questions - cannot do this as a traditional witness
- help to a higher standard since they are interpreting information
How is someone considered to be an expert witness?
Testimony - must be reliable, qualified, relevant
Types of experts - fact witness, opinion expert, consulting expert
Type of cruelty or intentional abuse
trauma (blunt/sharp force trauma) burning choking drowning firearm poisoned fighting sexual assault
What makes abuse “intentional”?
Done knowingly and intentionally. The act is direct, personal, and action focused. Usually done by someone close to the animal. Example: intentional abuse versus elderly person who is not remembering to properly care for an animal
Neglect
Failure to provide for an animal’s mental and physical well being. Omission or commission. Can include other needs such as social, emotional, enrichment –> defined as other care.
Difference between abuse and neglect
Abuse is more purposeful whereas neglect is a failure to care for the animal
Other care…
defined differently from state to state. Can include veterinary care, social, emotional, enrichment, etc.
Veterinary care defined
vaccinations, parasite control, dental care, grooming, exercise
What determines obesity towards abuse?
urine scalding, inability to move, inability to self groom
Abandonment affecting mental well-being
scratching, pawing, chewing, separation anxiety, sterotypies
Cannibalism affected by mental well-being
Can occur out of boredom, lack of enrichment, starvation, over packing and death
Pica affected by mental well-being
eating fur, plastic, rocks, gravel, dirt, glass, etc. This can indicate starvation
What to look for to make sure all five freedoms are being addressed
- fresh water with easy access
- fresh food appropriate for the species
- comfortable place free of waste
- area for elimination
- animal can stand, lie down, and turn comfortably
- identifies stereotypes
- fearful or aggressive
- lack of proper veterinary care
Environmental signs of cruelty
- tied up animals
- outside w/o access to basic needs
- living in filth
- overcrowding
Physical signs of cruelty
A lot fits under this category but here’s some to think about: embedded collar, skin lesions, ongoing illness or untreated illness, physical abuse, inadequate grooming
Overcrowding and hoarding
Can be more purposeful in cases of inappropriate breeding or can be in cases where person means well but is overwhelmed by animals and unable to care for the animals as they should be cared for. The second situation can come from well meaning in house “shelters”
How likely is it that “well meaning” animal hoarders will offend again?
Very common, a lot of times animal hoarding is a type of mental disorder
Cases of neglecence
- embedded collars from being left outside with little attention paid to it
- animal will have obvious previous trauma that the owner never got help for
- owner refuses to get help for the animal because of money issues
- chronic health issues
Steps to getting involved
1) evaluate and educate
2) follow up
3) if there is no follow up ie. owner doesn’t continue contact
4) concern arises and you can outreach or contact authorities
What does forensics experience help with?
In the example of embedded collars it helps to have knowledge of granulation tissue growth, lesion depth, parasite and time estimates on injury development to help figure out the real story that may differ from what an owner is reporting
Veterinarians position in keeping owners responsible for getting help for their animals
If they are required to go to the vet, veterinarians need to make sure they are getting rechecks, following up on appointments and can provided veterinary records.
Why is consistency important when evaluating potential abuse/neglect cases?
It helpful to keep the animal’s story straight, concise and clear from intake to the end of their case. It also helps to make continuous documentation that can be presented in court.
How is a case built in situations where the same animal is neglected/in need of help multiple times?
Detailed documentation is kept every time the animal is brought in so it shows if there are multiple offenses. If an owner comes to claim them the owner can be followed up with and possibly tried in court if it comes to that
Few problems that accompany grooming neglect
- Eye problems - ulceration, dry eye, trauma
- skin problems
- dental disease
- parasites - fleas and maggots
- ear infection
- strangulations
Why are severe grooming cases treated as a medical emergency?
Because many times there are worse problems that are only visible once the hair is removed
Bruising in animals
Animals do not always bruise like people do so sometimes it is hard to find definitive evidence of the abuse. Contusions can be better shown in court than bruises. Can also use thermal reader to pick up locations of inflammation/irritation.
Investigation basics
- Collect info from people involved
- required to report
- understand link between domestic and animal abuse –> public safety
Collecting evidence
- photography (in every direction/aspect)
- videos
- documentation
- sketches
- Forensic evidence - blood splatter, DNA, trace evidence like hair, fur and fingerprints, weapons
- alive and decreased animals - amount affected
- parasites
- weather data
- species and count
- burial sites, burn piles, fridge, freezer, storage containers
- preserve evidence and quickly provide care
Why do you not change or delete pictures/evidence?
Can be accused in court as tampering with evidence
Animal involved is both _____ and a _____ . Keep this in mind for documentation and collecting of evidence while still caring for them appropriately.
evidence, victim. Some organizations see them more as evidence than a victim so they can get stuck in the court system, you need to look out for their well being
Chain of custody
Document control and transfer - do not allow things to be tampered with or you can loose the case and person gets out of charges
