Veterinary Forensics: Animal Cruelty Investigations

Veterinary Forensics is a practical reference for veterinarians, pathologists and investigators. Written by a leading expert in veterinary forensics, it provides the background and resources needed to work with animal abuse cases. The book offers detailed and clear direction on crime scene investigation, forensic testing and forensic pathology findings, as well as guidance on handling evidence and conducting evaluations that will hold up in court.

Primarily focused on dogs and cats, the principles and techniques in this book can be applied easily to other species as well. Photographs highlight pertinent forensic findings in animals, and extensive appendices include forms for examination, report writing, entomology collection, body condition scoring, forensic kits, forensic specialists and labs, and web resources.

Book Description
Animal cruelty has been closely linked to domestic violence, and this has led to growing calls from the medical and legal communities for mandatory reporting of animal abuse. However, very few veterinarians and pathologists have been formally trained on the medical and legal aspects of animal cruelty cases. Veterinary Forensics: Animal Cruelty Investigations fills this gap, providing a thorough and straightforward resource on recognizing abuse, reporting abuse to proper authorities and conducting medical evaluations that will hold up in court. This book offers detailed and clear direction on recognition and interpretations of patterns of non-accidental injury, crime scene investigation, estimation of time of death, gross and microscopic pathology associated with abuse and neglect, chain of custody procedures, and providing expert testimony. This reference manual gives veterinarians, pathologists, and investigators the knowledge they need to understand the stages of animal cruelty investigations and to perform the necessary forensic examinations of animals.