ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the necessary steps to be used in the assessment of animal welfare from video and the formulation of the expert opinion during an animal cruelty investigation. Some videos presented to veterinarians for assessment will have several starts and stops in the continuity by design as the videographers may edit or chapter a long video for ease of viewing or to focus on particular events. Video of animals in various circumstances have been used in the development and application of qualitative behavioral assessment (QBA), a scientifically validated method of assessing animal welfare through human examination of animal body language. QBA is especially helpful for assessing how animals react to brief events such as handling. Upon completion of the visual examination and assessment of the animal and its environment, the veterinarian must describe all abnormalities and record the corresponding video time stamp or running time reference to allow for later citing.
