title: Identification, Collection, and Preservation of Veterinary Forensic Evidence: On Scene and During the Postmortem Examination.
abstract: Although it is the obligation of the veterinary forensic pathologist to be competent in identifying, collecting, and preserving evidence from the body, it is also necessary for them to understand the relevance of conditions on the crime scene. The body is just one piece of the puzzle that needs to be considered when determining the cause of death. The information required for a complete postmortem analysis should also include details of the animal's environment and items of evidence present on the crime scene. These factors will assist the veterinary forensic pathologist in the interpretation of necropsy findings. Therefore, the veterinary forensic pathologist needs to have a basic understanding of how the crime scene is processed, as well as the role of the forensic veterinarian on scene. In addition, the veterinary forensic pathologist must remain unbiased, necessitating an understanding of evidence maintenance and authentication.
authors.affiliation: Forensic Sciences and Anti-Cruelty Projects, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Gainesville, FL, USA Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA rachel.touroo@aspca.org.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Touroo
authors.affiliation: Forensic Sciences and Anti-Cruelty Projects, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Gainesville, FL, USA William R. Maples Center for Forensic Medicine, Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fitch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001344:Autopsy / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D003415:Crime; D049429:Forensic Pathology / Q000379:methods*; D010341:Pathology, Veterinary / Q000379:methods*
keywords: crime scene investigation; evidence; forensic veterinarian; necropsy; veterinary forensic pathologist