Report Writing

The final report should include the investigator’s name(s), the investigator’s agency, the agency requesting the report, the case number, the location of the exam, the personnel present, and the time and date(s) of the assessment. It is useful to note when the report writing process began and when the final report was drafted and signed.

Many authors place a summary near the beginning of the report to make it easier to find. All the areas of investigation must be mentioned in the summary (food, water, shelter, medical care).

The report should follow a logical progression and be easily understood by the court. Jargon should be avoided to prevent confusion. An unbiased, fair, and accurate account of all conditions, both good and substandard, needs to be communicated. A glossary of terms should be included for technical terms.

The description of the site should include the date and time of arrival as well as a description of the weather, including temperature, humidity, precipitation, and wind speed. Changes in conditions during the scene assessment should also be recorded. The number and dimensions of any structures should be included on a scene sketch with the disclaimer "not to scale,” case number, date, time, location, and the name and agency of the person making the sketch. The sketch should include fences, gates, burial pits, compost piles, water hydrants, electrical sources, and food and water troughs as well as natural features such as shade trees, creeks, streams, and ponds. A written description of the condition of the buildings, troughs, fences, pastures, pens, and stalls will include the security of the barriers, usable space, and evidence of maintenance.

The management scheme needs to be defined to provide a framework for the assessment. Total confinement systems have different incidences of injury, illness, and death than free-range/ pastoral situations. Organic facilities lose higher numbers ofchicks than conventional systems. The cooperative extension service can provide statistics on expected losses for each type of management system in the region. Information is available on management strategies to mitigate those losses. Local or state veterinarians will supply information on recent disease outbreaks. If a higher-than-expected particular malady is present, management’s response, or lack thereof, is described and the outcomes are documented.

Adequacy of food and water supply is documented by the amount of forage and concentrate on the premises and the delivery systems. Receipts documenting the dates, type, and amount of feed purchased can be used to calculate the amount of feed available to the group over a given period of time. The technique used to gather forage and concentrate as well as the laboratory used for feed analysis is included. The BCS of the individuals can be expressed as the number of individuals of each species at each score and then expressed as a percentage. These percentages can be converted to graphs and used in court to visually represent the data in the report. For example: “Of the 55 beef cattle of Bos taurus type, 20 were BCS 2.5/5, 25 were BCS 2.0/5, 5 were BCS 1.5/5, and 5 were BCS 1.0/5 (Vermont Cooperative Extension Service). All of the animals scored 2.5 or less. Animals scoring 2.0 or less comprised 63.6% of the herd. All of the animals were steers and should have scored 3.0 or higher.”

Individuals are assessed and the illnesses or lesions are catalogued and expressed as a percentage. A spreadsheet can be generated to compile the data, and pie charts or graphs can be used to visually represent the incidence of each problem.

The conclusion should include a summary of the areas investigated and your assessment of the condition of the animals, the (in)adequacy of the care provided, and how that care has impacted the health and well-being of the livestock.

The statement, “I reserve the right to alter or amend this report as additional information becomes available” should be included with the author’s signature and date. Amended reports with your assessment should be forwarded to the appropriate agency as soon as they are available.

Conclusion

Forensic cases involving agricultural animals offer challenges beyond those encountered when dealing with companion animals such as dogs and cats. Federal, state, and local laws may dictate identification, testing, treatment, and transport restrictions to limit the spread of reportable and zoonotic diseases thereby protecting the human food supply. Available personnel may have equipment and handling expertise in only one or two species requiring recruitment of multiple teams to assist at a scene involving several livestock species. Nutrition, management, and accepted agricultural practices vary by geographic region and must be considered when assessing these animals and the available resources. Herd health, the welfare of the majority of the group, carries more evidentiary value than the condition of a few outliers.

Meticulous documentation of all husbandry practices, physical conditions, available nutrients, shelter, and medical care coupled with a precise and unbiased report will provide the prosecution and the court with the necessary information for optimal case management.