Animal Cruelty - Dr. Horn

Question 1

The link

Answer 1

“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.

Question 2

Reasons people are cruel to animals

Answer 2

• 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

Question 3

Percent of people in abuse cases that had an animal threatened or hurt by an abuser

Answer 3

71%

Question 4

__% - __% of women entering a safe home put off escape due to an animal they didn’t want to leave behind

Answer 4

18-42

Question 5

Process of assessment and intake

Answer 5

1) observe
2) exam
3) record - story may change KEEP TRACT OF STORY
4) contact investigator and veterinarian
5) know and follow protocols

Question 6

Importance of caretakers of animals

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

What is a tech’s job?

Answer 7

• safe restraint for exams
• photo evidence
• provide prescribed treatment
• forensic necropsy
• diagnostics

Question 8

Veterinarian as an expert witness

Answer 8

• 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

Question 9

How is someone considered to be an expert witness?

Answer 9

Testimony - must be reliable, qualified, relevant

Types of experts - fact witness, opinion expert, consulting expert

Question 10

Type of cruelty or intentional abuse

Answer 10

trauma (blunt/sharp force trauma)
burning
choking
drowning
firearm
poisoned
fighting
sexual assault

Question 11

What makes abuse “intentional”?

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Neglect

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

Difference between abuse and neglect

Answer 13

Abuse is more purposeful whereas neglect is a failure to care for the animal

Question 14

Other care…

Answer 14

defined differently from state to state. Can include veterinary care, social, emotional, enrichment, etc.

Question 15

Veterinary care defined

Answer 15

vaccinations, parasite control, dental care, grooming, exercise

Question 16

What determines obesity towards abuse?

Answer 16

urine scalding, inability to move, inability to self groom

Question 17

Abandonment affecting mental well-being

Answer 17

scratching, pawing, chewing, separation anxiety, sterotypies

Question 18

Cannibalism affected by mental well-being

Answer 18

Can occur out of boredom, lack of enrichment, starvation, over packing and death

Question 19

Pica affected by mental well-being

Answer 19

eating fur, plastic, rocks, gravel, dirt, glass, etc. This can indicate starvation

Question 20

What to look for to make sure all five freedoms are being addressed

Answer 20

• 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

Question 21

Environmental signs of cruelty

Answer 21

• tied up animals
• outside w/o access to basic needs
• living in filth
• overcrowding

Question 22

Physical signs of cruelty

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Overcrowding and hoarding

Answer 23

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”

Question 24

How likely is it that “well meaning” animal hoarders will offend again?

Answer 24

Very common, a lot of times animal hoarding is a type of mental disorder

Question 25

Cases of neglecence

Answer 25

- 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

Question 26

Steps to getting involved

Answer 26

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

Question 27

What does forensics experience help with?

Answer 27

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

Question 28

Veterinarians position in keeping owners responsible for getting help for their animals

Answer 28

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.

Question 29

Why is consistency important when evaluating potential abuse/neglect cases?

Answer 29

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.

Question 30

How is a case built in situations where the same animal is neglected/in need of help multiple times?

Answer 30

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

Question 31

Few problems that accompany grooming neglect

Answer 31

- Eye problems - ulceration, dry eye, trauma - skin problems - dental disease - parasites - fleas and maggots - ear infection - strangulations

Question 32

Why are severe grooming cases treated as a medical emergency?

Answer 32

Because many times there are worse problems that are only visible once the hair is removed

Question 33

Bruising in animals

Answer 33

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.

Question 34

Investigation basics

Answer 34

- Collect info from people involved - required to report - understand link between domestic and animal abuse --> public safety

Question 35

Collecting evidence

Answer 35

- 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

Question 36

Why do you not change or delete pictures/evidence?

Answer 36

Can be accused in court as tampering with evidence

Question 37

Animal involved is both _____ and a _____ . Keep this in mind for documentation and collecting of evidence while still caring for them appropriately.

Answer 37

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

Question 38

Chain of custody

Answer 38

Document control and transfer - do not allow things to be tampered with or you can loose the case and person gets out of charges