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A multidisciplinary investigation of chronic animal abuse: Collaboration between veterinary forensics and forensic anthropology |
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| Authors: | Martha Smith‐Blackmore Jonathan D. Bethard |
| Affiliation: | 1. Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA;2. Forensic Veterinary Investigations, LLC, Boston, MA, USA;3. Martha Smith‐Blackmore, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.;4. Email: martha.smith_blackmore@tufts.edu;5. Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA |
| Abstract: | An unknown juvenile female mixed breed dog was found non‐ambulatory on a dead‐end street in an urban setting adjacent to a public park. During initial veterinary examination, she was assessed to have untreatable injuries and was humanely euthanized. The forensic veterinarian requested consultation from a forensic anthropologist to assist with documenting antemortem skeletal trauma. Analyses of skeletal tissues indicated numerous injuries in various stages of healing diagnostic of non‐accidental injuries. Veterinary forensic cases may benefit from collaborative analysis of bony remains by forensic anthropologists. |
| Keywords: | animal abuse canine forensic anthropology non‐accidental injury skeletal trauma analysis veterinary forensics |