ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses assessments particular to different crime scenes, including abuse cases, fighting rings, neglect, and hoarding. It provides an animal's body language, the variety of possible behavioral presentations, and how one might assess an animal's temperament. The chapter aims to support the forensics team to gather the most useful information about their living animal evidence. Stress, fear, and anxiety can manifest as observable behaviors and are often overlooked when assessing the health of an animal; yet one or more can be the underlying cause of problem behaviors like aggression and repetitive behaviors. When a forensic investigator finds animals as living evidence, or is charged with their care, these animals must be processed in a way appropriate to the investigation. There are special considerations necessary when dealing with live animals as evidence. The chapter concludes with notes on different forms of useful documentation of living animal evidence.
