CSI: Animal Cruelty

Volume 2 Issue 1
April 1, 2008
Author: Jackie Peters

You see them on television weekly; dramatized crime scene investigation shows suspending you inanimately for 60 minutes in a world filled with deceptive motives, neglect, cruelty and death. Then the credits appear and you walk away having been entertained.

This is reality. The nation's first-ever mobile Animal CSI Unit and centers on the most innocent and helpless of victims--animals. Best of all, its sponsor, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals (ASPCA), plans on no cancellations, but in fact, unlimited "spin-offs".

This very special van, fully outfitted with state-of-the-art forensics tools and medical equipment, was created to significantly advance the prosecution of animal cruelty and help strengthen cases against offenders by incorporating the emerging field of veterinary forensics in crime scene investigations.

The ASPCA, whose mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States, debuted the unit this past December. It was part of a major announcement of the ASPCA's two newest milestones in its ongoing fight; the other component being the construction of its first Anti-Cruelty Institute.
Mobile Animal CSI Unit

After being contacted by an investigator out of Atlanta about a dog fighting bust, Melinda D. Merck, D.V.M., hit the road in her Animal CSI Unit. Upon arriving at the crime scene, Dr. Merck, along with police investigators and an assistant district attorney, searched the home to find some disturbing evidence: an organized chart system that referred to several different dogs, different fight times, and different locations; the remains of numerous dogs; a "contraption" in the woods behind the home where investigators believe dogs were fought; several handguns and rifles; and, 15 live pit bulls, with various degrees of wounds and scarring.

A 31-year-old man was arrested, with more arrests possible as the investigation unfolds. He is being held without bond on charges of dog fighting and aggravated animal cruelty. Atlanta police say it's one of the biggest rings they've ever busted. And, animal advocates have a tipster to thank for the arrest.