GUELPH鈥擣or a few tense moments, a defence lawyer grills a forensic pathologist on whether the weapon used in a crime might be something other than an iron pipe.
When the expert declines to answer directly, the lawyer turns to the judge.
“I’ve asked him specifically: did he look at anything else, and I think a clear ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer would be appropriate,” she says sharply.
The judge immediately directs the witness to answer the question.聽
This exchange is taking place not in a downtown 色色啦 courthouse, but in a University of Guelph classroom at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC).
The victims in the mock trial aren’t human, but rather a fictitious cat and piglet found dead in a farmer’s barn.
It’s all part of a pioneering elective course that’s designed to train students in the emerging field of forensic veterinary science.
Overseeing the exercise from the side of the classroom聽is Shane Bateman. One of a handful of Canadians trained in forensic veterinary science, he created this course to find justice for injured animals by educating future vets on how to detect abuse and support the work of animal welfare service inspectors, police and prosecutors.
Canada doesn’t keep national statistics on animal abuse, but reports of such incidents are not uncommon. When eight horses were stabbed at a ranch outside of Welland earlier this summer, one died. According to a local TV station, a veterinarian confirmed with Niagara Regional Police that this was not an animal attack, as there were no scraping or bite marks on the horses, so an edged weapon was used.聽
On Friday, a man pleaded guilty to fatally shooting his daughter’s boyfriend and Bingo, the 色色啦 police dog that helped tracked him down. Emily Brouwer, a veterinary pathologist at Guelph’s Animal Health Laboratory, performed the necropsy聽鈥 the animal autopsy聽鈥 and testified at the preliminary hearing.
Filling a gap in training
OVC is currently the only vet school in Canada offering this kind of training. Bateman developed the program, in consultation with colleagues, after recognizing a “gap” existed in the vet school curriculum. While animal welfare is addressed, there’s no “deep dive” into the legal responsibilities of a veterinarian, he said.
Bateman says that when veterinarians feel that something is not quite right in the exam room, they need to ask questions to determine whether something else is happening in the home.
GIOVANNI CAPRIOTTIHe points to surveys where 90 per cent of practising vets say they’ve come across cases of cruelty or abuse. Yet when asked if they reported it to the proper authorities, only 30 to 40 per cent said yes, he explains.
It all starts with recognizing signs of abuse and knowing what to do about it.
“When we feel that something is not right in the exam room, rather than turning a blind eye, we must begin to ask more questions and potentially uncover whether something is taking place in a home, especially where kids are present,” Bateman said in an interview at the Animal Care Centre, where the mock trial took place.
A key component of the course is teaching students about the strong link between animal abuse, intimate partner violence and other violent offences.
Breaking the cycle of abuse
Increasing awareness of this connection can help vets can play a role in prevention. Research shows that children exposed to abuse against humans and animals are at increased risk of perpetuating that behaviour.
“It鈥檚 critically important for us to play our role in that and breaking that cycle,” said Bateman.聽
The dynamics of animal abuse within a home setting varies. Some cases involve perpetrators threatening to harm a pet as a coercion tactic.
A few years ago in 色色啦, a man threw his partner’s dog off the balcony of their 11th-floor apartment.
The couple’s relationship had been marred by repeated acts of physical and emotional abuse. The pet died on their final night together. The man was convicted of assault and wilfully causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and in 2023 received a 20-month jail sentence.
In his sentencing reasons, Ontario Court Justice Brock Jones noted that Criminal Code provisions respecting animal cruelty offences have changed significantly over the past 15 years. Prior to 2008, the maximum sentence for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal was six months’ custody. In 2008, the maximum penalty increased to up to five years’ imprisonment.
Recent case law makes clear “that our animal companions are valued and respected as sentient beings who deserve our love and care. Acts of cruelty will be met with stern punishment,” Jones wrote.
Courts catch up with society
Such court decisions show that the justice system is catching up to society’s expectations on how animals should be treated, Bateman says.
In past decades, it wasn’t unusual for pet dogs to sleep outside. Today “we would be shocked” if a neighbour leaves them outside overnight.
No longer is it “he鈥檚 just a dog,” said Bateman. “He鈥檚 not just a dog. He’s an important member our community (that) was lost, murdered. Of course we鈥檙e going to investigate that in the same way.鈥
A mock crime scene staged for students in Bateman’s course at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College.聽
University of GuelphVeterinarians with forensic science expertise could also be called into situations where a vicious dog has attacked and injured a person. There might be more than one dog in a neighbourhood where the incident occurred, so “it鈥檚 important to make sure that we understand which of those dogs may have been the one, and we don鈥檛 wrongfully convict an animal, who would lose its life as a consequence.”
Building on a legacy
In his teaching, Bateman also addresses the importance of veterinarian forensic professionals maintaining scientific rigour and credibility when presenting their findings in court where they may be vulnerable to legal challenges.
“Science has made mistakes,” he acknowledges, noting debunked forensic evidence such as bite mark analysis and the use of stomach contents to estimate the time of death. False and misleading forensic techniques can lead to wrongful convictions.聽
“It鈥檚 really important to ensure we鈥檙e building on the legacy that the science that鈥檚 being presented in courtrooms are meeting those stringent legal criteria for ensuring that it is credible and valid and there鈥檚 peer reviewed discussion.”
A trial by fire
Fourth-year OVC student Quinten Scales believes what he learned during the forensic rotation will be put to good use as a veterinarian. He plans to specialize in caring for small animals and surgeries.
When an animal shows up in a clinic with signs of being abused, “this may set off some flags in our mind that there might be something going on at home, and it鈥檚 our duty to kind of further investigate that. It can make a big difference in the lives of many animals and people as well.鈥
During the mock trial, Scales portrayed聽 Brouwer, the veterinary pathologist at the university’s Animal Health Laboratory. She has performed around 900 necropsies and has collaborated with law enforcement including the 色色啦 police dog case.
Student Quinten Scales says being in a mock trial was nerve-wracking but good preparation for what might happen in real life.
GIOVANNI CAPRIOTTI For the 色色啦 StarFor Scales, it was his first time inside a courtroom聽鈥 albeit a fictitious one. Presiding was Gloria Kovach, who sits as a justice of the peace in nearby Kitchener. Real-life lawyer Robin-Lee Norris performed dual roles as prosecutor and defence lawyer.
Days earlier, Scales and a small group of vet students attended a fake crime scene inside a modern cinder block barn located on campus. Stuffed animals were used to represent the dead animals.
Playing Brouwer, Scales testified the pig and cat died by deliberate blunt force head trauma with injury patterns consistent with the dimensions of an iron pipe.
It was a nerve-racking experience, the confident young man admits afterwards.
鈥淚t felt very real, and I think if I do end up in court for something like that it will prepare a little bit to know what to expect,鈥 he said, standing in the hallway outside the classroom where the simulation took place.
As for whether the accused was guilty?
鈥淟ooking at the evidence, I think so.鈥
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