Indoor postmortem mutilation by dogs: Confusion, contradictions, and needs from the perspective of the forensic veterinarian medicine

Cat and dog scavenging at indoor forensic scenes: strategies for documentation and detection

Vertebrate scavenging on human remains is occasionally observed at indoor forensic scenes, especially when pets have access to the body and their deceased owners were socially distanced. Pets feeding on corpses have implications for the forensic investigation, e.g. for trauma analysis and the assessment of the cause of death, the estimation of the postmortem interval (PMI), or the recovery of the complete set of remains. Documentation of potential scavenging in forensic practice is tenuous and needs to be improved in order to be able to use the information for future casework. Investigators need to be aware of the alterations pets can cause to human remains and how these affect further analyses. Following a combined literature review for cat and canine scavenging, we present seven new cases from Switzerland with cat and/or dog involvement. We then created a flowchart guide for a systematic collection of data to use at indoor forensic scenes of suspected scavenging. Our literature review revealed the challenge in discriminating between scavenging by domestic cats and dogs, based on the appearance of the lesions alone. Furthermore, the information that is often routinely collected in indoor fatalities with potential scavenging activity is not sufficient to perform this separation. To provide a practical basis for cat and canine scavenging and its differentiation, we summarise strategies and present a flowchart to use in forensic casework of suspected indoor scavenging.

Uncovering Forensic Taphonomic Agents: Animal Scavenging in the European Context

Simple Summary

In forensic cases of exposed human bodies, vertebrate animals frequently pose challenges concerning remains recovery, identification, and the interpretation of circumstances of death. For instance, they can remove body parts, destroy skeletal features, and create “pseudo-lesions” that complicate trauma analysis. With this review, we highlight vertebrate scavengers in Europe that are of forensic relevance, including their typical behaviour and their inflicted lesions on bones and soft tissues. Here, we support forensic practitioners in recognising animal activity at the site of discovery and in interpreting the circumstances of death. Our review serves as a guide for the examination of animal-altered human remains and their found state by providing ecological backgrounds on various vertebrate species. In addition, this study provides an overview of the current state of research in the field of animal scavenging in forensics.

Abstract

Animal scavenging by vertebrates can significantly alter human bodies and their deposition site. For instance, vertebrate animals can cause postmortem modification to a body, alter perimortem trauma, influence decomposition rates, disarticulate and scatter body parts or evidence, and affect the identification of the deceased. Animal scavenging is a relatively common occurrence in forensic investigations. Even so, studies on the subject are scattered and rare, with most focussing on geographical areas outside of Europe. For that reason, we intend to collate the literature to provide an account of forensically relevant vertebrate scavengers in Europe, their impacts on human remains, and their implications for forensic investigations. Here, we provide an overview of forensic aspects where the knowledge of animal scavenging is crucial, as well as an account of potential scavengers of human remains in Europe and their typical alterations to soft tissue and, in particular, to bones. In addition, we are the first to provide a guide for forensic practitioners to identify the presence of vertebrate scavenging and subsequently inform outdoor search strategies for affected human remains.

Vitale anale Tierfraßverletzung durch einen Dackel

Hundebissverletzungen weisen bei Lebenden in der Regel eine charakteristische Morphologie auf, anhand derer sich die Entstehung gut nachvollziehen lässt. Haben Hunde Zugang zu einer Leiche, so kann es zu postmortalen Tierfraßverletzungen kommen, und das Verletzungsbild kann u. U. auf den ersten Blick auch als Fremdbeibringung durch Dritte missinterpretiert werden.

Vorgestellt wird ein seltener Fall einer Tierfraßverletzung an einer lebenden Person. Eine Mischintoxikation mit Zopiclon und Alkohol im häuslichen Umfeld führte zur Bewusstlosigkeit, die einen ausgedehnten Gewebsdefekt im Analbereich durch Bissverletzungen des eigenen Dackels ermöglichte. Außergewöhnlich ist hierbei neben der vitalen Entstehung auch die Lokalisation der Verletzung.