Professional paper

Blunt force trauma in the violent death of a dog

Magdalena Palić ; Veterinarska ambulanta Kastor i Dar, Zagreb, Croatia
Petar Džaja ; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Andrea Gudan Kurilj ; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Krešimir Severin ; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

A significant proportion of forensic veterinary expertise involves injuries caused by mechanical forces, among which the most common is blunt head trauma. Often, these are injuries that lead to death, and are caused by violence, and less often by accidents, which gives them special significance. Blunt force trauma can result in bleeding in the brain parenchyma, between the meninges, brain tissue injuries associated with skull fractures, and other injuries of the head tissues which may be life-threatening. In the case presented, a forensic veterinary expertise panel determined the cause of death of a dog as occurring in a dog fight. During the autopsy, injuries to the head were found, which were lethal, and injuries of the chest caused by blunt force trauma, which refutes the notion that the cause of the death was a dog fight. Therefore, in this or similar cases, it is necessary to establish the dynamics of the origin and interconnection between the injuries observed, in order to be able to shed light on how they occurred, and help find the offender.

Keywords

violent death; blunt force trauma; forensic veterinary expertise; dog

Hrčak ID:

231927

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/231927

Publication date:

20.12.2019.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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