Veterinary Forensics: Animal Cruelty Investigations

348 Pages·2007·5.54 MB·English

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Veterinary Forensics:
Animal Cruelty Investigations
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Veterinary Forensics:
Animal Cruelty Investigations
Melinda D. Merck, DVM
Editor
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Melinda D. Merck, D.V.M., received her veterinary medicine degree from Michigan State University in
1988. In addition to practicing small animal medicine, she began working on animal cruelty cases with
local shelters and animal control in 1989. She opened her private practice, The Cat Clinic of Roswell in
Roswell, Ga., in June 1990. She sold her practice after receiving a full-time appointment to ASPCA as a
Forensic Veterinarian with the organization’s Anticruelty Initiatives in 2007. She is the Vice President of
Veterinary and Forensic Affairs for the Georgia Legal Professionals for Animals. Dr. Merck testifies as a
forensic veterinary expert for animal cruelty cases around the country. She is a veterinary forensics consult-
ant for the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office in Atlanta, Ga., and conducts veterinary forensic exam-
inations for Gwinnett County Animal Control. She provides training for veterinary and law enforcement
professionals nationwide on the use of veterinary medical knowledge in the investigation and prosecution
of animal cruelty cases.
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for users of the Transactional Reporting Service is ISBN-13: 978-0-8138-1501-5/2007.
First edition, 2007
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Veterinary forensics : animal cruelty investigations / Melinda Merck, editor. – 1st ed.
p. ; cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8138-1501-5 (alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-8138-1501-0 (alk. paper)
1. Veterinary forensic medicine. 2. Animal welfare. I. Merck, Melinda.
[DNLM: 1. Animal Welfare. 2. Forensic Medicine. 3. Veterinary Medicine. SF 769.47 V586 2007]
SF769.47.V48 2007
636.089(cid:1)4—dc22
2006036916
The last digit is the print number: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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Dedication
This book is dedicated to all the animals who have suffered abuse. May this book
empower us to go further and seek justice for the innocent victims.
v
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Table of Contents
List of Contributors xi
Foreword xiii
Preface xv
Acknowledgments xvii
Introduction xix
Chapter 1 The Legal System and the Veterinarian’s Role 3
Introduction 3
The Laws 4
The Legal System 5
Preparing for Trial 9
Expert Witness Testimony 11
Chapter 2 Crime Scene Investigation 19
Introduction 19
CSI: The Veterinarian’s Role 20
Environment: Weather Data 21
Photography and Videography 21
Evidence Recognition and Collection 22
Blood Evidence 23
Grave Detection and Excavation 26
Chapter 3 CSI: The Animal as Evidence 31
Introduction 31
Determining Non-accidental Injury 31
Behavioral Considerations of Animals 34
Evidence Collection 35
Chain of Custody 36
Photography and Videography 36
Examination of the Live Animal 37
Forensic Necropsy 46
Special Considerations 52
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viii Contents
Chapter 4 Special Considerations in Animal Cruelty Cases 59
Trace Evidence 59
Forensic Botany 63
Forensic Palynology 64
DNA: Deoxyribonucleic Acid 65
Other Unique Identifiers of Animals 68
Münchausen Syndrome by Proxy 69
Stress 71
Suffering 72
Pain 75
Chapter 5 Patterns of Non-accidental Injury: Non-penetrating 79
Injuries
Overview of Blunt Force Trauma 79
Abrasions 80
Bruising/Contusions 81
Fractures 84
Hit-by-Car/Motor Vehicle Accident Injuries 85
Fall Injuries 85
Swinging/Dragging Injuries 86
Head Trauma 86
Neck and Spinal Injuries 95
Chest Injuries 97
Abdominal Injuries 98
Ligature Injuries 99
Chapter 6 Patterns of Non-accidental Injury: Penetrating Injuries 101
Introduction 101
Lacerations 101
Avulsion Injuries 102
Stab Wounds 103
Incised-Stab Wounds 107
Incised Wounds 108
Chop Wounds 109
Therapeutic or Diagnostic Wounds 110
Mutilation 110
Ritualistic Crimes 110
Chapter 7 Patterns of Non-accidental Injury: Burns 115
Interpreting Burn Patterns 115
Collection of Evidence 115
Burn Classification 117
Systemic Effects of Burns 118
General Histopathological Findings in Burns 119
Thermal Burns 119
Chemical Burns 122
Electrical Burns 123
Fires: Thermal Injury and Smoke Inhalation 125
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Contents ix
Chapter 8 Patterns of Non-accidental Injury: Gunshot Wounds 131
Introduction 131
Overview of Firearms 131
Examination of Gunshot Victims 134
Wound Ballistics 135
Determining Entrance and Exit Wounds 136
Determining Gunshot Range 141
Retrieving Gunshot Residue 150
Retrieving Projectile and Wadding 150
Retrieving the Cartridge Cases 151
Determining Trajectory 151
Recording the Injuries 152
Chapter 9 Patterns of Non-accidental Injury: Asphyxia 155
and Drowning
Overview of Asphyxia 155
Suffocation 156
Strangulation 158
Drowning 163
Chapter 10 Patterns of Non-accidental Injury: Poisoning 169
Overview of Intentional Poisonings 169
Evidence and History 171
Diagnostics 172
Agents Used in Animal Poisonings 175
Summary 199
Chapter 11 Patterns of Non-accidental Injury: Neglect 201
Introduction 201
Environment Examination 201
Starvation 202
Animal Hoarders 210
Heat Stroke 215
Hypothermia 218
Embedded Collars 220
Demodicosis 221
Untreated Injuries 221
Chapter 12 Sexual Assault 225
Overview 225
Crime Scene Investigation 226
General Findings 226
Examination of the Victim 227
Suspicious Exam Findings 230
Zoonotic Disease 231
Evaluation of Assailant’s Sperm and Semen 232
Color Plate Section
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x Contents
Chapter 13 Animal Fighting 235
Overview of Dog Fighting 235
The Pit Bull Breed 235
Fighting Classifications 236
The Dog Fight Pit 236
Training and Fighting Paraphernalia 236
Examination of the Animal 237
Overview of Cockfighting 239
The Fighting Gamecock 239
Chapter 14 Time of Death 241
Overview 241
Determining the Postmortem Interval 242
Examination of the Body 242
Determining the PMI: Forensic 249
Entomology
Determining the PMI: Examination 258
of the Crime Scene
Final Analysis: The Report of Exam Findings 259
Appendix 1 Evidence Log 267
Appendix 2 Cruelty Case Samples Packaging Record 268
Appendix 3 Cruelty Case Samples Receipt Record 269
Appendix 4 Live SOAP Form 270
Appendix 5 Weight Change 272
Appendix 6 Body Condition Assessment 273
Appendix 7 Skin Condition: Cat 274
Appendix 8 Skin Condition: Dog 275
Appendix 9 Condition of Haircoat and Nails: Cat 276
Appendix 10 Condition of Haircoat and Nails: Dog 277
Appendix 11 Physical Care Scale: Haircoat and Nails 278
Appendix 12 Necropsy History 279
Appendix 13 Necropsy Worksheet 280
Appendix 14 External Wounds: Cat 283
Appendix 15 External Wounds: Dog 284
Appendix 16 Fixed Tissue Histology Checklist 285
Appendix 17 Preliminary Veterinarian Statement 286
Appendix 18 Final Veterinarian Statement 287
Appendix 19 Medical Record Certification 288
Appendix 20 Exam/Necropsy Report 289
Appendix 21 Tufts Animal Care and Condition Scale 291
Appendix 22 Forensic Entomology Data Form 293
Appendix 23 Entomology Specimen Disposition/ID Log 294
Appendix 24 Entomological Sample Log Sheet 295
Appendix 25 Forensic Specialists and Laboratories 296
Appendix 26 Animal Cruelty Forensic Kits 308
Appendix 27 Webliography 312
Index 315
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List of Contributors
Sharon M. Gwaltney-Brant, DVM, PhD, DABVT, DABT
Medical Director
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
1717 S. Philo Road, Suite 36
Urbana, IL 61802
[phone]
[email protected]
Wrote Chapter 10: Patterns of Non-Accidental Injury: Poisoning
Laura A. Janssen, J.D.
Senior Assistant District Attorney
Fulton County District Attorney’s Office
136 Pryor Street, 3rd Floor
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
[phone]
[email protected]
Wrote Chapter 1: The Legal System and the Veterinarian’s Role
Doris M. Miller, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVP
Director, Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
College of Veterinary Medicine
The University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia 30602
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[email protected]
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Contributed pathology throughout the book
Foreword
Late one afternoon a couple of years ago, one of my Assistant District Attorneys in-
formed me that she would be spending the entire night in our Grand Jury Room
working on an animal cruelty case with her expert witness. Ordinarily, I would be
curious about any expert's willingness to work an 8- to 10-hour day at her own of-
fice, and then head to the Fulton County District Attorney's Office in downtown
Atlanta to pull an all-nighter; but this was no ordinary expert witness. It was Dr.
Melinda Merck.
About halfway through my first term in office, in 2000, the Georgia General
Assembly upgraded the crime of animal cruelty to a felony. I had studied the sinis-
ter and ominous nature of this crime for two decades. As the District Attorney of a
large metropolitan community, I vowed to make up for time lost when animal cru-
elty was not taken seriously. I share that vision with the author of this book.
As I read Dr. Merck’s first draft of this book on veterinary forensics, I could see
her own lifelong mission to fight animal cruelty materialize. This textbook has the
distinction of being literally the first of its kind and is written by a laudable pioneer
in this field. I have seen firsthand the ease with which Dr. Merck navigates through
animal crime scenes that have left other investigators confounded. That said, even
the most indefatigable leaders can be only one place at a time. This book allows Dr.
Merck to be a guiding influence to an expanded audience of veterinarians since her
brilliant grasp of this subject and singularity of focus lends itself to classrooms in
veterinary schools across the country.
Having prosecuted several felony animal cruelty cases over the years, I can at-
test to the vital importance of having a veterinary expert trained in forensics in
every case. Based on the unusual forms of evidence used in these types of cases, I
created an “Animal Cruelty Unit” within my own office and assigned a dedicated
prosecutor to be on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to go out to the crime scenes
to oversee investigations. Unsurprisingly, Dr. Merck adopted those same hours and
took my animal cruelty prosecutor under her tutelage to ensure that our office was
equipped with the resources needed for trial.
The object of every legal investigation is the discovery of the truth. Suffice it to say,
this author has become an invaluable member of our prosecution team. I sincerely
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