Step 1: Identify the Victim and the Circumstances

Obtain the official case number and animal number from the law enforcement officer or animal control officer that is conducting the investigation. If the officer does not provide a unique number for the animal, then the veterinarian should assign one. If multiple animals are involved, then each animal must have a unique number. Consistent with the ASV Guidelines, the number should be affixed to the animal via a neckband or tag.

Read the investigator report! As discovered in the case presented earlier in this module, the report contains critical information about the circumstances that the animal was in. Ultimately, your exam findings must be interpreted based on the circumstances. The report should provide answers to the following questions:

• Where was the animal?
• What were the living or environmental conditions?
• Did the animal have adequate shelter and access to food and water?
• What happened to the animal?
• Were there interviews of the owner, neighbors, or witnesses?
• Did the investigator take photographs of the animal on site and the environmental conditions?