The new programming at the Veterinary School of Ontario (OVC) of the University of Guelph is preparing students for situations that many people may not associate with animal medicine specialists.
The OVC, the oldest veterinary university in Canada, began to implement a new forensic science program this month. It is offered in rotations of a week as an elective for fourth year students, who learn to identify when an animal has been abused or neglected.
Dr. Shane Bateman, a professor of OVC in emergency medicine and critical care, said that the Forensic program implies taking the skills that veterinarians already have, including anatomy, pathology and animal behavior, and using them to detect possible abuse or negligence.
“The estimation is about 90 percent of veterinarians will probably have seen what they perceive as a case of animal cruelty or negligence with their lives of practice,” Bateman said.
He said that some veterinarians have not had the tools to identify and inform abuse or negligence, making them doubt.
“What motivates me strongly to bring this education to our curriculum is to change the result of the research that shows that veterinarians are not always so good to inform their suspicions.”
For Bateman, one of the most important lessons is that “our patients do not speak. We can’t ask what happened to them. So we trust what a client tells us.”
He said that up to 90 percent of veterinarians will find a case of cruelty or negligence in their careers, but many doubt in informing it.
“The training we are providing is to provide more confidence, more knowledge, more techniques, more skills for students to trust,” Bateman said.
It is assumed that crimes against animals must be reported to Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS), which then investigates and continues with veterinarians.
Paws, a government agency under the ministry of the Attorney General, declined to be interviewed for this article.
OSPCA, the student reacts
Dr. Jill Kirk, veterinary director of the SPCA and the Human Society of Ontario, told CBC News that this training should be essential.
“If you are only, you know, doing your routine exam, you can miss some signs that could raise a red flag or two. If you have the training, that will show you exactly what to look for.”
Kirk has a certificate in Forensic Veterinary Sciences at the University of Florida. She said she had to use her training several times during her career.
“It depends on veterinarians like me who work in human societies where animals surrender, but also depends on the general private practitioner, just to know what signs to look for, say: ‘Hey, something is not right here.’
“It is not our work as veterinarians to demonstrate that there is abuse or negligence. It is our work to inform.”
Founded in Toronto in 1862, the OVC moved to Guelph in 1922. It is classified as the best veterinary university in the country and is in the sixth place internationally, according to the firm of Higher Education Analysis QS.
The school offers two four -year undergraduate programs: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences for Veterinary Futures, as well as postgraduate programs.
The fourth -year veterinary student, Diana Fitzgerald, chose the forensic rotation, attracted to her interest in animal welfare.
“It seems that he goes hand in hand with forensic sciences,” he said. “You can count a lot about the past affective states that an animal may have gone into focusing on forensic labor.”
Fitzgerald said it has been “a very valuable experience divided between learning in the classroom and the investigation of the crime scene.”
Fitzgerald believes that he will help her in practice.
“Now, having taken this rotation, I will feel better prepared if a case will approach me that is emitting the signs of negligence or abuse potential. I can better recognize those who help the animal.”
For her, it’s also gratitude.
“There are not too many educational institutions that offer learning experiences like this,” he said. “We all feel very grateful to learn from someone so knowledgeable.”
Bateman expects the feeling to continue in the profession.
“The veterinarians are well educated. We know a lot about animal welfare, we know a lot about the behavior of animals, we know a lot about the human animal link,” he said.
“What we must focus on is how we close that gap? How do we give veterinarians the trust and skills to follow their instincts when they think there is something that is not quite well?”
In other words, Bateman wants to make sure that when animals cannot speak for themselves, someone is ready to talk for them.
The morning edition – KWOntario Veterinary College launches a new forensic program
A new program will arrive at the Veterinary University of Ontario this year. It is called Forensic Veterinary Science. It is designed to help future veterinarians identify and inform the abuse or negligence of animals. The program director, Dr. Shane Bateman, talks about why these skills are so important.
