Veterinary Forensics Flashcards
1
Q
Veterinary Forensics
A
- The application of a braod spectrum of sciences, including veterinary medicine to answer questions of interest to a court of law
2
Q
Forensics Veterinarian
A
- Identify, collect and assess evidence from anamails and their environment
- Use veterinary medical knwoledge to put together the pieces of the puzzle to try to answer questions asked by law enforcement and the courts in an unviased and objective manner
- Act as “teacher” to clearly convey the evidence which falls into realm of expertise, based in science and fact, to assist the judge and/or jury in understandin the evidence at hand
3
Q
Importance of Veterinary Forensics
A
- Veterinary forensic science can be used to:
- Establish if a crime has or has not been committed which involves an animal
- Solve the animal related crime
- Society demands the investigation of crimes against animals
- Link between human violence and animal cruelty
4
Q
Link between Abuse
A
- Animal abuse, cruelty and neglect often considered isolated incidents separate from other forms of family violence
- Animal abuse as a sentinel indicator
- Tip of the iceberg
- first sign of other family and community violence
- Abusers may kill, harm or threaten animals to exert dominance and power over victims
- Animal abuse slences domestic violence and sexual abuse victims
- Senior citizens
- At risk and not able to care for their animals adequately
- Neglecting themselves to care for their pets
- Exploited by those who take advantage of their attachment to th
- eir pets
- Keeping too many animals in inhumane hoarding conditions
- Children who are cruel to animals
- Earliest stages of conduct disorder
- Gang initiation ritual
- Act of revenge
- Peer pressure
- Way for an abused child who feels powerless to exert control over his/her own victim and gain sense of power
- Exposing children to animal cruelty may desensitize them against other forms of violence
5
Q
Human vs Animal Crime Scene Investigations
A
- Human
- Multiple specialized forensic professionals
- Usually involve one or few victims
- local and state labs available to analyze evidence
- Involves a singlespecies
- Animal
- Typically no supporting specialists
- May involve few or numerous victims
- Work with vetreinary schools or private labs throughout the US to analyze evidence
- Involves multiple species
6
Q
Veterinarian’s role in forensics
A
- Crime scene investigation
- Examination of live victims
- Examination of deceased victims
- Expert witness testimony
7
Q
Crime scene Investigation
A
- Vet’s role
- Triage live victims
- Assist law enforcement with evidence identification and examination
- Assessment of the scene and its effects on the victims
- Ideal for vet to be on scene
- will lose information otherwise
- Do not go beyond what your skill level allows you to do
8
Q
Triage Live Victims
A
- Field Triage: initial walk through - look for critical animals
-
Intake Triage: done while removing animals from the scene
- Red, yellow, green, blue
9
Q
CSI and Evidence
A
- Failure to recognize the presence of evidence
- Some items of evidence may be overlooked by law enforcement who are not familiar with theparticular case
- Items may be overlooke because they may not be aware ofthe value of the items
- Failure to preserve animal or medical evidene
- DVM may need to help in ensuring that some evidence is properly preserved
10
Q
Assessment of Scene
A
- Animal’s environment environment directly impacts physical exam findings
- Can’t tie exam to environment if you don’t have information on the environment
- Neglect is great example
- Can’t tie exam to environment if you don’t have information on the environment
11
Q
May Observe Conditions Such As:
A
- Dehydration: due to poor water quality
- Interdigital dermatitis: due to dirty and wet living conditions
- Bacterial conjunctivitis: due to dirty and wet living conditions, as feces can easily become integrated with the mud and can be splashed onto the dogs’ face and into their eyes
- Hypothermia: depending on ambient temperature, may be observed due to the inability to remain dry and in adequate shelter
12
Q
Forensic Examination of Live Victims
A
-
Veterinary forensics medical examination: detailed exam done in order to methodically document physical findings and facilitate the collction of evidence from the patients’ body
- Starts at the scene
- Cannot fully interpret exam findings without crime scene infrmation
13
Q
Forensic Examinations of Decesed Victims
A
- Determined from a forensic necropsy:
- Cause of death
- Manner of death
- Contributory causes
- Mechanism of death
- Estimate of potmortem interval
14
Q
Cause of death
A
Event that initiated the chain of events that led to the death
15
Q
Manner of Death
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- Natural
- Accidental
- Non-accidental
- Euthanasia
- Undetermined
16
Q
Mechanism of Death
A
Physiolodical and/or biochemical process by which the death came about
17
Q
Postmortem Interval
A
Time since death
18
Q
Forensic Medical Exam of Live or Deceased Victims
A
- Medical examination should occur as soon as rational as some evidence may change over time
- If animals are unable to be immediately examined, steps should be taken to ensure that critical information is not lost
- Veterinary medical examiner will determine an opinion of the evidence based on the facts of a case
- Facts are based on crime scene findings, any history that may be available, medical exam findings, diagnostc or other forensic test results
- Facts need to be proven on final report
- Final report is more than just PE findings
- Responsibility to “prove” a case does not lie on the veterinarian alone
- Case investigation is a multidisciplinary approach
- Veterinary evidence is only part of the case
- Ultimately the judge or jury is thetrier of act
- Veterinarian should simply present the facts of the case and their interpretation or conclusion drawn from such facts
19
Q
Expert Witness Testimony
A
- Veterinarians are typically qualified as an expert withness given ther education
- An expert witnesses can render an opinion on the evidence that falls within thei area of expertise
- Veterinarian must ensure that the court understand the applicable evidence
- But must be aware o their limitations and the gaps in veterinary forensic knowledge
- There is a definit lack of scientific reseach in the area of vetrinary forensics
- Veterinarian must be impartial and only draw conclusions based on what the evidenc shows
20
Q
Veterinaian’s Role in Animal Abuse
A
- Veterinarians are advocates for anials in society and must speak out about abuse of these silent victims
- Mandated reporting in some states including Kansas
- Veterinarians often fall into the trap of thinking that owners who care enough about their animals to provide vetrinary care are unlikely to abuse thei animals
- A 2003 Ssurvey in Colorado by American Humane found that 2/3 of veterinarians who responsed had personally experienced a case of non-accidental injury
21
Q
Mandated Reporting
A
- Not madating repporting is a barrier to recognizing the seriousness of animal abuse
- “One health” approach
- Healthcare professionals have a duty to protect animals, children, elders and battered women
- DVMs shoul be leaders for setting highest standards of animal welfare
- DVMs are rational and natural advocates for animals in society
- By addressing animal abuse, may save human and animal life as well as reduce suffering
- Violence is a public health matter
22
Q
Mandated Reporting - Kansas
A
- “Under administrative regulation K.A.R 70 - 8 - 1, veterinarians are required to report cruel or inhumane treatment of animals if she veterinarian has direct knowledge of such treatment”
- KAN. STAT. ANN 47 - 839 (2017). Confidentiality; exceptions; waiver
- “the privilege provided by this section shall be waived under the following circumstances: (1) Reporting cruel or inhumane treatment of any animal to federarl, state or local governmental agencies”
23
Q
Reluctace to Reporting
A
- Lack of training
- Fear of litigation
- Some states have laws that provide immunity from civil and criminal liablity for DVMs who report in good faith
- Kentucky specifically prohibits DVMs from violating the confidential relationship between the DVM and the client which includes voluntary reporting of suspected cruelty
- Fear of adverse economical impact
- Client confidentiality
24
Q
Defining Animal Maltreatment
A
- Common terms relating to Animal Maltreatment:
- Abuse
- Cruelty
- Neglect
- Need to utilize consistent terminology and develop standard definitions with regards to animal maltreatment
- Animals maltreatment is defined by the law - varies from state to state
25
Animal Abuse
* **Abuse -** term used in the child welfare field to describe maltreatment that occurs regardless of perpetrator's intentionality
* A more current defintion of animal abuse modeled after the child welfare field is: "**a willful failure to provide care and harmfl behaviors that result in maltreatment regardless of the intent, motivation or mental condition of the perpetrator"**
26
Animal Cruelty
* Statues commonly include tems such as pain, suffering and distress
* Cruelty has been defined as "socially unacceptable behvior that intentionally causes pain, suffering or distress and/or death of an animal"
* Cruelty implies malicious intent
* Cruelty often results from intentional acts or acts of commission
27
Neglect
* Failure to provide basic care required for an animal to thrive such as:
* Food
* Water
* Shelter
* Space
* Exercise
* Veterinary care
* Neglect often results from failure to acts or acts of omission
28
Defining Maltreatment
* Abuse is typically synonymous with maltreatment
* Abuse can be classified as cruelty of neglect given legal definitions of these terms
* Neglect can rise to level of cruelty given legal definitions
* Dependent on how cruelty and neglect are defined under law
* Animals abuse is a **legal** not a medical definition
29
Classifications of Animal Abuse
* Physical abuse
* Sexual abuse
* Emotional abuse
* Neglect and abandonment
* Orgnized abuse
* Ritual abuse
30
Animal Abuse
* Compromises an animal's health and causes a deviation from a state of comfort
* Animal's state can be described:
* ******Comfort:** state of equilibrium in which an animal is in good health and accustomed to its environment
* **Discomfort:** minimal change in an animal's comfort, as a result of exposure to stressors
* **Distress:** state in which an animal cannot escape from, or adapt to, due to external or internal stressors that result in negative effects on well being
* **Pain**
* **Distress, pain and suffering are evidence of abuse**
* Must be able to describe the animal's condition
31
Potential Stressors
* Causes of physiological stress:
* Injury, surgery, disease, starvation, dehydration
* Causes of psychological stress:
* Fear, anxiety, boredom, loneliness, separation
* Causes o environmental stress:
* Restraint, noise, odors, other species, people
32
Pain and Suffering
* Difficult to define
* Pain: **"an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actul or potential tissue damage"**
* Relates to the way the unpleasant or aversive sensation is experienced by the individual
* Not all pain is equal. Varies in:
* **Character:** stinging, throbbing, aching, buring
* **Location:** skin, joints, viscera, muscle
* **Duration:** momentary to persistent
* **Intesity:** minimal to excruciating
33
Assessing pain
* How to assess pain:
* Assessment and knowledge of observable common behaviors
* Animal's appearance and mobility
* Animal's behavior and response to handling
* Hands-off assessment of animal's behavior
* Animal's response to analgesics
* Species differences
* Prey species
* Some breeds are more stoic
34
Anthropomorphism
* Anthropomorphism
* Naturally inclined to project personal experiences and feelings onto animals due to their inability to verbally describe how they feel
* Animals feel and anticipate pain similarly to people
* Unless contrary is established, consider incidences that causes pain or distress in people to cause pain and distress in animals
35
Suffering
* Unpleasant state of mind that disrupts the quality of life
* Mental state associated with unpleasant experiences such as pain, malaise, distress, injury and emotional dumbness (Ex: extreme boredom)
* Suffering can develop from a wide range of causes
* Heat, cold, lack of food, lack of water, confinement, space restriction, lack of socail companions, lack of stimulation, injury and disease
36
How to recognized suffering
* One author suggests looking for evidence that the animal is trying to or would take steps to change the situation, either by escape orto gain access to something they want or need
* Need to observe behavior on scene and after removal
* Another approach would be to observe behaviors associated with specific forms of suffering form practical experience
37
Suffering
* Examples of emotional and mental states that can lead to suffering when they become severe or protacted:
* Fear, Irritation, Starvation, Sickness, Pain, Distress, Nausea, Loneliness,Frustration, Fatigue, Thirst, Anxiety, Phobia, Boredom Depression, Sadness, Bitterness, Anguish, Paranoia, Despair, Torment, Longing
* Useful to refer to the **"Five Freedoms"**
* ****Principles are **relevant and appropriate measures of physical and mental well-being** for any animal species
* These Freedoms can be utilized to help further define the level of abuse to an animal
* First 3 of the 5 freedoms address **physical** wellbeing, while the last 2 freedoms address the animal's **mental** well-being
38
Five Freedoms: What to look for
* Fresh, potable water readily accessible at all times
* Fresh food appropriate for species offered at least daily (or as dictated by species)
* Comfortable place free of waste
* Area for elimination is well-maintained
* Animal should be able to stand, lie down, and turn around comfortable
* Beware of stereotypies (Ex: bar-biting, pacing, excessive grooming)
* Note if animals appear fearful
* Look for signs of proper veterinary care (Ex: vet records, etc)
39
Determining non-accidental injury
* Begins with and index of suspicion when the exam findings are not supported by the presenting history
* Important to have al of the available crime scene and investigation information prior to examining a suspected victim of animal cruelty
* Certain types of injuries and conditoins raise suspicion of abuse
* Repetitive injuries
* Otehr patient in household experineced similar injuries, unexplained death or disappearance
40
Non-accidental injury Study
* Study that looked at age, sex, breed factors in reported cases of non-accidental injuries
* Abuse found in higher # of dogs (63%) and cats (71%) less than 2 years of age when compared to the general population
* Younger animals are harder to manage, possibly more aggravating to owner, more likely to incite aggressive acts
* Juvenile animals more likely to explore new environments and become victims of neighbors
* Male dogs were abused in a higher proportion than female dogs
* No statistical sex significance in cats
41
Feline Cruelty
* More severe and more likely to result in death than canine cruelty
* Most frequent target in all forms of abuse
* Predominant victim in cases of burning, bone fractures, being trown from a height
* Cats are overrepresented in cases of torture, beating, throwing, mutilation, suffoction, and drowning
* Likely to be significantly underreported
* Societal attitudes towards cats?
* Human-cat relationship
* Cat owners may not pursue looking for thei missing cat, relying that it will come home eventually or found a new home
* Most common behavior of injured or fearful cat is to hide as opposed to seeking human interaction, even with fatal wounds
* Contributes to lack of detection of injured or deceased cats that have been victims of abuse
42
Future of Veterinary Forensics
* Large need for research in the area of veterinary forensc sciences
* Current educational opportunities
* Univeristy of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine:
* Online Graduate Cetrificate in Veterinary Forensic Sciences
* Online Master of Science in Veterinary Forensic Sciences
* International Veterinary Forensic Sciences Association
