The University of Florida and the
ASPCA have established a master's program in veterinary forensic sciences at the school. “We’re the only university offering this in the United States,” said Dr. Byrd. The program is part of a $2 million ini-
tiative by the ASPCA to improve education for veterinarians so that they can better help law enforcement investigators solve crimes involving animals, from dog fighting to hoarding. Just as a prosecutor wouldn’t bring a
homicide case to trial without a medical examiner, in an animal cruelty case where the animal died, the prosecutor would prefer having a forensic vet on the legal team. The crime has to be presented to the jury in a way that proves the animal victim was alive before the heinous act was perpetrated. The expertise of forensic veterinarians is invalu- able to prosecutions. Still, Dr. Byrd cautions, “You must have
a willing prosecutor or sheriff. Our evidence is only as good as the lawyer prosecuting the case.”
The online program is designed for
local, national and international professionals in forensic medicine and veterinary science fields. Students learn how to process animal crime scenes, handle and interpret evidence, and recognize animal abuse, along with other skills that are vital to obtaining justice for abused animals. They are prepared for real-world situations in veterinary forensic medicine by faculty members who have years of experience in the field working with law enforcement and animal protection organizations. Animal cruelty cases are being taken
more seriously than ever, due unfortunately to such noteworthy cases as the dogfighting ring that involved Atlanta Falcons quarter- back Michael Vick. Getting veterinarians to work on cases or serve as expert witnesses is a big help to the success of a case. Academic interest in the field of veterinary forensic pathology is growing as a result of this increased public pressure, awareness from the Vick case, and TV shows like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. “People are doing illegal things with
animals,” said Dr. Nanny Wenzlow, the first recipient of the University of Florida Veterinary Forensic Pathology Fellowship. “The public doesn’t accept animal abuse anymore, which we know is somewhat of a sentinel for human abuse,” said Dr. Wenzlow,
36 THE NEW BARKER Jessica in the lab growing flies.
Dr. Rachel Touroo (shown above, in her office at the University of Florida) joined the ASPCA in March 2012 as the director of its Veterinary Forensics program. She assists with crime scene investigations in animal cruelty cases throughout the United States, and provides expertise and training to law enforcement and animal care and control agencies. Dr. Touroo also plays an integral role in the ASPCA Veterinary Forensic Sciences Program at the University of Florida.
The link between animal abuse and inter- personal violence has become so well estab- lished that many U.S. communities now cross-train social-service and animal control agencies in how to recognize signs of animal abuse as possible indicators of other abusive behaviors. Dr. Byrd travels all over Florida and
occasionally across the country to help the ASPCA investigate animal cruelty cases. When necessary, he conducts the work by phone, guiding investigators and veterinari- ans on how to map or process animal crime scenes by actually re-creating it, or ‘map- ping’ as it is called.
knowledge of the life cycles of insects to help determine when a person or animal died. Since different types of flies develop from larvae at different rates, the types of flies on a body serve as important clues about how long an animal has been dead. then dumped in the woods. Even though the field of entomology has been around for a long time (there is a book, "The Washing Away of Wrongs" printed in 1247 that talks about foren- sic techniques that date back to 13 century China) it is still fledgling in many ways, according to the American Board of Forensic Entomology. There are less than 100 scientists world- wide working in forensic entomology.
www.TheNewBarker.com
whose yearlong fellowship included working with the Medical Examiner’s Office in Gainesville. There has been a mounting body of
evidence about the link between animal cruelty acts and serious crimes of human concern, including illegal firearms posses- sion, drug trafficking, gambling, spousal and child abuse, rape and homicide. Law enforcement has begun to realize it's not just a case of Fluffy being beaten to death. Animal abuse issues are part of a larger nexus of crimes and the psyche behind them. The connection between animal abuse and other criminal behaviors was addressed as early as 1751 in a series of engravings by William Hogarth called “The Four Stages of Cruelty.”
Jessica Hvozdovich was enrolled in the Pharmacy program at UF when she became interested in veteri- nary forensic science, specif- ically forensic entomology. She was introduced to the subject through one of Dr. Byrd's classes during her sophomore year. Forensic entomologists rely on their
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