A Perspective on Veterinary Forensic Pathology and Medicine in the United Kingdom

Veterinary Expert: Legal Nature and Responsibility

Veterinary professional practice can be performed in many forms, including expert activity. The importance of veterinary expertise is, however, often underrated and limited to only one of its areas. Nonetheless, veterinary expert opinions have significant social, legal, and economic impacts. This study investigates veterinary expertise from an interdisciplinary, comparative perspective. Ethical and legal analysis and interpretation are performed. Essential concepts and relevant aspects of veterinary expertise are analysed. Legally relevant factors of an expert opinion are identified. The relationship between the law, the language, and the understanding of the role and duties of a veterinary proficient is demonstrated. A variety of possible expert opinions and the multiplicity of veterinary scopes of such activity is presented. It is argued that the ranges of forensic veterinary medicine and of veterinary expertise are broader than is predominantly assumed. Veterinary forensic medicine is a crucial part of veterinary specialisation. Ethical and legal basics, and the scope of veterinary expert's liability, are revealed and discussed. The conclusion is that the duties and responsibilities of expert veterinarians are particularly great due to the exercise of the public trust profession, with large importance for the whole society. Their observance is, however, crucial to ensure the highest quality of expert opinions issued by veterinarians.

European Forensic Veterinary Pathology Comes of Age

During the mid-1700s, development of the veterinary profession was largely focussed on equine medicine and surgery. Subsequently, rather erratic development encompassed other species and eventually led to specialization in different disciplines. Teaching of veterinary pathology was well established in Europe and North America by the late 19^th century. Specialization in this discipline was boosted in the 1940s by the formation, in the USA, of the Register of Veterinary Pathology and American College of Veterinary Pathologists. National societies followed soon afterwards in Europe. The European Society of Veterinary Pathology evolved during this period and the European College of Veterinary Pathologists (ECVP) was created in 1995 to promote high standards in the discipline. As an accrediting body, its emphasis is on training and harmonization across Europe. There is an increasing demand for high-grade forensic veterinary pathology reports which address the requirements of the legal system, but so far only a few countries have defined protocols for these reports. In recognition of the need for a specific qualification that benchmarks the competences and experience expected of forensic veterinary pathologists, the ECVP recently launched the Certificate in Forensic Veterinary Pathology.

The rise of veterinary forensics

Veterinary forensics is rapidly emerging as a distinct branch of veterinary medicine, especially because of increasing mindfulness about animal cruelty, and of the link between acts of cruelty to animals and violence toward humans. Nevertheless, the application of forensic sciences in veterinary cases lags behind its application in medical cases. Although gaps persist in veterinarians' knowledge of forensics and in how to apply this field to medicolegal cases involving animals, continued research and publication in veterinary forensics are rapidly developing the evidence base in this area. Additionally, educational opportunities in veterinary forensics are also increasing at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Together, these changes will continue to improve veterinarians' abilities to investigate cases involving animals. To further strengthen these investigations, veterinarians should also collaborate with the appropriate experts in different disciplines of forensic science.

Perception, knowledge and attitudes of small animal practitioners regarding animal abuse and interpersonal violence in Brazil and Colombia

Identification and report of animal abuse by veterinarians are fundamental to the promotion of animal welfare and the prosecution of this crime. Likewise, these professionals have an important responsibility to cope with the cycle of violence. This study aims to characterize the perception, knowledge, and attitudes of small animal practitioners regarding animal abuse and interpersonal violence in Brazil and Colombia. An online survey containing 27 questions was distributed to small animal practitioners of both countries. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was employed to construct relationships among categorical variables and the chi-square statistic was used for testing these relationships. An important number of respondents had suspected that their patients could be victims of animal abuse (Brazil 48.1%; Colombia 64.5%). However, only a minority reported this situation to competent authorities (Brazil 32.7%; Colombia 10.8%). To receive training about veterinary forensics and/or animal welfare sciences in veterinary college was associated with identifying and denouncing animal abuse (p < .05). Deficiency in training received by veterinarians on veterinary forensic and animal welfare science in veterinary college was evident. Despite this, small animal practitioners recognize the existence of an association between animal abuse and interpersonal violence (Brazil 94.2%; Colombia 96.8%). The results highlight the need to strengthen education on animal abuse and promote the participation of veterinarians in the prosecution of this crime in Latin America.