How can veterinarians be reporters of animal abuse when they are not taught to recognize it?

Abstract

Views: Commentary 1363 T AVMA policy on Animal Abuse and Animal Neglect states that “The AVMA considers it the responsibility of the veterinarian to report [animal abuse or neglect] cases to appropriate authorities, whether or not reporting is mandated by law.” Approximately 13 states mandate that veterinarians report suspected cases of animal abuse, but the laws vary, so that in some states, all suspected cases of abuse must be reported, whereas in other states, only certain types of suspected abuse, such as dogfighting or malicious abuse, must be reported. Starting in 2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigation will begin more clearly tracking cases of animal abuse through its Uniform Crime Reporting Program. Specifically, animal abuse will no longer be classified as a miscellaneous crime. Rather, the bureau will categorize such crimes into 4 types: simple and gross neglect, intentional abuse and torture, organized abuse such as dogfighting and cockfighting, and sexual abuse of animals. With this increase in monitoring, it would not be surprising for more states to pass mandatory reporting laws. Currently, however, only 75% of veterinary colleges in the United States provide any training in recognizing animal abuse, with students at those colleges receiving a mean of only 76 minutes of such training. How can veterinarians be reporters of animal abuse when they are not taught to recognize it? Animals that have been abused are no less likely to be seen by a veterinarian than are animals that have not been abused. The problem for veterinarians, therefore, is recognizing abuse when it is present. Importantly, animal abuse does not always result in the types of signs we may expect, and although abuse can result in signs of neglect, it can just as easily be associated with typical signs of illness or injury. Complicating matters, an animal that has been abused may be brought to the veterinarian by the abuser, by someone who is unaware of the abuse, or by a person who is also a victim of the same abuser. Without the right education, veterinarians won’t know what signs to look for to identify abuse. In fact, the possibility of abuse may not even cross our minds. Part of the problem is that veterinarians may not be aware that animal abuse is legally defined, and that what constitutes abuse in one state may be perfectly legal in another. However, veterinarians are not under any duty to determine whether a crime (animal abuse) has taken place. They only need to recognize that the possibility How can veterinarians be reporters of animal abuse when they are not taught to recognize it?