Dr. Jennifer Bonovich gives us an overview of the role of the sheter veterinarian in forensic cases and how animal cruelty cases can be pursued “on a budget”.

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So we just finished a presentation on the role of the

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veterinarian in animal cruelty cases.

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And to talk to us more about it is Dr.

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Jennifer Bonovich, thank

you for being here.

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Jennifer Bonovich: Absolutely.

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DrG: So let's start with telling

the audience about what you

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do, and where do you practice

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Jennifer Bonovich: at?

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Sure.

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I'm in Columbia, South Carolina.

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I'm a shelter veterinarian at a municipal

shelter for the City of Columbia,

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and we contract with Richland County.

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So in my shelter we get about

5,000 animals a year, and

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I'm there as a shelter vet.

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So surgery, population

management, emergencies and the

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like, and also some forensics.

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Um, but on the side I have

Caliber Veterinary Forensics.

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I started a consultation company so I

could work with state law enforcement

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on big dog fighting cases, but also with

other agencies like Humane World for

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Animals and A-S-P-C-A on, um, other cases

that might be needed within the state.

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DrG: We're always talking about the

importance of having knowledge in

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shelter medicine with animal cruelty and

neglect because it is the unfortunate

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reality that shelters get a lot of

animals that have been neglected, whether

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it's intentional or unintentional.

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So what is your experience and what

recommendations do you have for

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shelter veterinarians in that field?

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Jennifer Bonovich: Yeah, absolutely.

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You know, uh, I brought up my

presentation how the Association of

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Shelter Veterinarians guidelines for

shelter medicine includes forensics.

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So it's such an important part.

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It's inherent to what we do

because we get what happens in

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the community, which is abuse.

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Now, most of these animals, we

may not have an owner, but we see

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this abuse on a regular basis.

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But when we do have an owner, we as

shelter veterinarians should be prepared

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to know how to appropriately collect

information, photographs, and evidence

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so that we could potentially get these

people, um, a case so that they may,

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you know, be held responsible legally

for what they've done to the animal.

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DrG: One of the things that we hear

a lot from shelters, dog pounds,

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different organizations is that they

can't look further into animal abuse

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and neglect cases due to funds.

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But that's not, that's not always right.

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Right?

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Jennifer Bonovich: Exactly.

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So a lot of my presentation was

doing forensics on a budget.

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You need very little to do a good case.

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It depends on the type of case, but you

could have very little equipment, maybe

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just a microscope and a few things.

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And based on using what's free, which

is our education that we've already

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have, taking pictures, which is free,

serial pictures, say a starvation

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case over time and other things

we can do a lot for very little.

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And just because we can't do all these

gold standard things does not mean

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we cannot produce a very fantastic

case that can win in court and so on.

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Many times I've testified in

court as an expert witness.

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I, um, a lot of times I don't

need a lot to prove that this

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animal had pain and suffering.

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DrG: And people think about, because

of the CSI effect that you have

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to have DNA and you have to have

this, you have to have the other.

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But realistically, all you have to do

is the confidence to, and the knowledge

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to give that information so that the,

whether it's the jury or whether it's

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the judge, they understand what you're

saying and how it's relevant to the case.

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Jennifer Bonovich: Oh, exactly.

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So knowing the CSI effect where everyone

expects this very, um, sexy presentation

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of all these advanced things, when in

reality you have to keep that in mind when

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you're presenting your case to realize

that we still have to be convincing with

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what little we have, but what little,

little we have is plenty in our mind to

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show yes, there was pain and suffering,

so we don't have to have all that.

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But keep in mind, people

might be expecting that.

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So be prepared to explain

with what you have.

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Your confidence in your conclusion.

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But again, you don't need a lot.

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Um, a lot of that fancy stuff,

um, most people don't use.

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Right?

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But you don't need it for most cases.

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Now, if you have access to things,

you also have to understand the

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implications of using advanced

diagnostics and potential complications.

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So sometimes simple is best

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DrG: What is the importance of the shelter

support team in veterinary forensic cases?

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Jennifer Bonovich: It is very important.

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It depends on your leadership and your

relationships with your animal control and

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local jurisdictional police departments

with whom you are contracted to work.

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So if you have these good relationships.

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Then open air conversations, right?

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And understanding does your

local law enforcement know

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what to look for in the field?

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I did create a course for local law

enforcement so that they could understand

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what animal crimes look like in the field.

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So they might think something's

like something worth

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pursuing and it's really not.

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Versus they're ignoring something

they might see every day that

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they should be bringing up to us.

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Your shelter management, i'm very

fortunate that our shelter leadership

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is very pro pursuing cases, and in

doing so, it makes it easier for me.

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I may not have a large budget for

it, but they are supportive of it.

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So collaboration is extremely important.

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We need to take the walls down and realize

that we will not make progress if we think

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we have to stay in that little bubble.

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We start expanding out and getting to

know our local solicitor's office, find

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the people who are, um, more into helping

animals and you'd be amazed at what

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type of exponential impact you can make.

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DrG: Fantastic.

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Well, thank you very much for being here

and thank you for your presentation.

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Jennifer Bonovich: My pleasure.