There are a variety of resources available online for those interested in or working on animal cases. This webliography list contains information and links to resource sites. The list is not intended to be comprehensive and website links may have changed.
RESOURCES
AVIAN
Avian Welfare Coalition – information about avian welfare
www.avianwelfare.org
Handbook for a Healthier Bird
www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/learningcenter/index.html
Keeping Your Bird Entertained
www.hartz.com/Birds/Habitat/Keeping_Your_Bird_Entertained.aspx
CONSULTATION SERVICES
American Association of Forensic Science. Contact lists of forensic specialists
www.aafs.org
AZ Forensic Associates – provides consultation services for blood stain pattern analysis
http://www.bloodstainevidence.com/
Canine Behavior and Aggression Consulting - also provides consulting services for dog bite and dog attack investigations.
http://dogconsulting.org
Dr. Melinda Merck’s Veterinary Forensics - website offering training, consultation services, and case response for animal cases; also contains forms and information on veterinary forensic science
www.veterinaryforensics.com
Forensic Pieces - training and consultations offered in a broad range of forensic sciences
www.forensicpieces.com
HAIRbase™ - a website containing a database of various animal hairs to support forensic analysis
http://web.me.com/kwpmiller/HAIRbase/Welcome.html
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – crime lab responsible for investigating federal fish and wildlife crimes
http://www.lab.fws.gov/
EQUIPMENT
Arrowhead Forensics- crime investigation and forensic supply company
www.crime-scene.com
Entomology supplies and collection information
www.texasento.net/equip.htm
www.bioquip.com
Evident Crime Scene - crime scene and evidence collection products
www.evidentcrimescene.com
Fitzco, Inc. - crime scene and evidence collection products
www.fitzcoinc.com
Hobo data loggers
www.onsetcomp.com
Law Enforcement Training and Resource Group – offers new POCKET CSI™, a suite of applications for smart phones for crime scene responders
www.letrg.com
Lynn Peavey - crime scene and evidence collection products
www.lynnpeavey.com
Sirchie - crime scene and evidence collection products
www.sirchie.com
Tri-tech USA – crime scene and evidence collection products with veterinary forensic kit
www.tritechusa.com
FORENSIC TESTING
American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians - access to the full list of accredited laboratories in the USA.
www.aavld.org
Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health – bone marrow fat analysis and animal toxicology testing
www.dcpah.msu.edu
US Fish and Wildlife Service-National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory
www.lab.fws.gov
Forensic toxicology.
www.abarbour.net
Independent Forensics – laboratory testing and products sold for field testing
www.ifi-test.com
Microtrace, LLC – private independent laboratory specializing in the characterization and identification of single, small particles and small quantities of unknown materials including animal hair
http://www.microtracescientific.com/
Purdue University Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory – bone marrow fat analysis
www.addl.purdue.edu/
UC Davis: Veterinary Genetics Laboratory - features forensic animal DNA testing.
www.vgl.ucdavis.edu
UC Davis - Veterinary Genetics Laboratory Canine CODIS Dog Fighting database- the site for information on the Canine CODIS database
www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/forensics/CANINECODIS
UF Maples Center for Forensic Medicine – animal DNA testing; limited to canine and wildlife
http://maples-center.ufl.edu/organizations/service/animal-forensic-dna-testing/
GENERAL INFORMATION
American Humane Association – offers training in disaster/temporary sheltering
http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/professional-resources/training/disaster-sheltering.html
Battered Pet Syndrome: Non-accidental Physical Injuries That Occur In Dogs And Cats by Helen Munro
http://canadianveterinarians.net/pdfs/Munro_NonAccidentalInjuries.pdf
A Bibliography Related to Crime Scene Interpretation with Emphases in Forensic Geotaphonomic and Forensic Archaeological Field Techniques as a downloadable PDF
http://mai.mercyhurst.edu/research/research-materials/reference-guides/a-bibliography-related-to-crime-scene-interpretation/
Blood stain tutorial
www.bloodspatter.com
Canadian veterinary website with section on animal abuse
http://canadianveterinarians.net/animal-abuse.aspx
Crime & Clues – website with information for crime scene investigation and forensic science
www.crimeandclues.com
Crime Scene Investigations - information by retired Sgt. Hayden B. Baldwin
www.feinc.net/cs-inv-p.htm
Crime Scene Investigator Network - site has links to forensic articles and information
www.crime-scene-investigator.net
Diatom home page for Indiana University
www.indiana.edu/~diatom/diatom.html
Dr. Zeno’s Forensic site - contains forensic information about several disciplines
www.geradts.com
FBI Forensic Science Communications
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/lab/forensic-science-communications
Firearms ID - This site includes information on ammunition identification, gunshot residue, shotgun pattern testing, etc.
www.firearmsid.com
Forensic Evidence – website of information on forensic science, law, and public policy.
www.forensic-evidence.com
Forensic Magazine - with full issues, articles, products, and services and recent court rulings
www.forensicmag.com
Forensic Science Resources
http://www.tncrimlaw.com/forensic
Forensic science resources on the internet – website updated and maintained by The Gelman Library at George Washington University
www.istl.org/03-spring/internet.html
The Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium. Contains the Tufts Animal Care and Condition Score.
http://vet.tufts.edu/hoarding/
Incident Command System – information on the ICS system and links to the online independent study courses
http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/IncidentCommandSystem.shtm#item7
International Association for Identification - Scientific Working Group on Imaging Technologies (SWGIT)
http://www.theiai.org/guidelines/swgit/index.php
National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology, and the Law, a program of the National Institute of Justice – searchable database
www.ncstl.org
National Institute of Justice - A Guide for General Crime Scene Investigation: Processing the Scene
http://www.nij.gov/nij/topics/law-enforcement/investigations/crime-scene/guides/general-scenes/process.htm#collect
Necropsy Procedures for Wild Animals
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/whc/pdfs/necropsy.pdf
NetVet: Veterinary and Animal Government and Law Resources
http://netvet.wustl.edu/law.htm
Purina BCS - site for information on Purina body condition scale for dogs and cats
www.purina.com
Reddy’s Forensic Page – website listing forensic books and journals
www.forensicpage.com/new04.htm
Weather Data-
www.wrh.noaa.gov
www.ncdc.noaa.gov
www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snow
LARGE ANIMAL
BCS system - Cattle
http://cdqa.org/docs/Appendix7.pdf
BCS (Henneke system) - Equine
http://www.trfinc.org/mc_images/category/4/eqfeb09bodyconditionscore.pdf
Dairy Welfare Guide
http://cdqa.org/info_dl.asp
Lameness / locomotion guide
http://cdqa.org/docs/Appendix3.pdf
UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Extension Animal Welfare - this site has numerous welfare guides for multiple species of livestock and provides excellent resources for establishing what constitutes acceptable management practices
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vetext/animalwelfare
LEGAL
Animal Legal Defense Fund - offers investigation and prosecution support for animal cruelty cases; site has resources including animal law info and foster agreement forms for animals in legal cases
www.aldf.org
Federal Animal Welfare Act
http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/legislat/usdaleg1.htm
Georgia Legal Professionals for Animals
www.georgialpa.org
Gonzaga University - a selected bibliography and research guide for animal law
http://www.law.gonzaga.edu/Library-and-Technology/Files/Reference-and-Research/Research-Guides/AnimalLaw.pdf
Lewis & Clark Law School Center for Animal Law - site offers resources in animal law
http://www.lclark.edu/law/centers/animal_law_studies/
Michigan State University-Detroit College of Law- a searchable website for animal cruelty laws and veterinary practice acts in the U.S. and internationally
www.animallaw.info
USDA Animal Welfare Page, including pdf and Word versions of the Animal Welfare Act
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/publications_and_reports.shtml
ORGANIZATIONS
American Association of Forensic Science – Source of the Journal of Forensic Science.
www.aafs.org
American College of Forensic Examiners – Source for the Forensic Examiner journal.
www.acfei.com
Association of Shelter Veterinarians – site has guidelines for standard of care in animal shelter and the Five Freedoms
www.sheltervet.org
International Veterinary Forensic Sciences Association
www.ivfsa.org
National Association of Medical Examiners - Source of the journal: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.
www.thename.org
Melinda D. Merck, D.V.M.
Veterinary Forensics Consulting, LLC
Dr. Melinda Merck is a forensic veterinarian consulting on cases involving animals. Dr. Merck assists investigators of animal cruelty with crime scene investigation as well as the examination of live and deceased victims. She helps with large scale operations including exhumations of burial sites and examination of skeletal animal remains. She frequently testifies as a veterinary forensic expert for animal cruelty cases around the country including cases involving animal fighting, neglect and trauma.