Episode 87

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Published on:

11th May 2025

Animal ForensiCon 2025: Shelter Vet Forensics with Jennifer Bonovich, DVM

Dr. Jennifer Bonovich gives us an overview of the role of the sheter veterinarian in forensic cases and how animal cruelty cases can be pursued “on a budget”.

The 2025 Animal ForensiCon: The Animal Forensic Investigations Conference is a three-day event, offered in Daytona Beach Shores, Florida from May 7th to 9th, 2025. The conference is hosted by the University of Florida’s Veterinary Forensic Sciences Laboratory.

ForensiCon offers workshops and educational sessions on a wide variety of topics pertaining to criminal investigations, law, small animal investigations, equine and livestock investigations, and wildlife crimes. This conference is open to anyone interested in animal forensic investigations. Attendees will also have the opportunity to network with faculty, experts, and investigators

Transcript
DrG:

So we just finished a presentation on the role of the

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veterinarian in animal cruelty cases.

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And to talk to us more about it is Dr.

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Jennifer Bonovich, thank

you for being here.

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Jennifer Bonovich: Absolutely.

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DrG: So let's start with telling

the audience about what you

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do, and where do you practice

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Jennifer Bonovich: at?

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Sure.

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I'm in Columbia, South Carolina.

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I'm a shelter veterinarian at a municipal

shelter for the City of Columbia,

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and we contract with Richland County.

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So in my shelter we get about

5,000 animals a year, and

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I'm there as a shelter vet.

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So surgery, population

management, emergencies and the

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like, and also some forensics.

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Um, but on the side I have

Caliber Veterinary Forensics.

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I started a consultation company so I

could work with state law enforcement

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on big dog fighting cases, but also with

other agencies like Humane World for

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Animals and A-S-P-C-A on, um, other cases

that might be needed within the state.

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DrG: We're always talking about the

importance of having knowledge in

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shelter medicine with animal cruelty and

neglect because it is the unfortunate

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reality that shelters get a lot of

animals that have been neglected, whether

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it's intentional or unintentional.

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So what is your experience and what

recommendations do you have for

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shelter veterinarians in that field?

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Jennifer Bonovich: Yeah, absolutely.

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You know, uh, I brought up my

presentation how the Association of

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Shelter Veterinarians guidelines for

shelter medicine includes forensics.

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So it's such an important part.

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It's inherent to what we do

because we get what happens in

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the community, which is abuse.

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Now, most of these animals, we

may not have an owner, but we see

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this abuse on a regular basis.

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But when we do have an owner, we as

shelter veterinarians should be prepared

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to know how to appropriately collect

information, photographs, and evidence

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so that we could potentially get these

people, um, a case so that they may,

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you know, be held responsible legally

for what they've done to the animal.

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DrG: One of the things that we hear

a lot from shelters, dog pounds,

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different organizations is that they

can't look further into animal abuse

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and neglect cases due to funds.

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But that's not, that's not always right.

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Right?

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Jennifer Bonovich: Exactly.

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So a lot of my presentation was

doing forensics on a budget.

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You need very little to do a good case.

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It depends on the type of case, but you

could have very little equipment, maybe

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just a microscope and a few things.

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And based on using what's free, which

is our education that we've already

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have, taking pictures, which is free,

serial pictures, say a starvation

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case over time and other things

we can do a lot for very little.

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And just because we can't do all these

gold standard things does not mean

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we cannot produce a very fantastic

case that can win in court and so on.

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Many times I've testified in

court as an expert witness.

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I, um, a lot of times I don't

need a lot to prove that this

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animal had pain and suffering.

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DrG: And people think about, because

of the CSI effect that you have

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to have DNA and you have to have

this, you have to have the other.

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But realistically, all you have to do

is the confidence to, and the knowledge

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to give that information so that the,

whether it's the jury or whether it's

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the judge, they understand what you're

saying and how it's relevant to the case.

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Jennifer Bonovich: Oh, exactly.

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So knowing the CSI effect where everyone

expects this very, um, sexy presentation

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of all these advanced things, when in

reality you have to keep that in mind when

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you're presenting your case to realize

that we still have to be convincing with

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what little we have, but what little,

little we have is plenty in our mind to

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show yes, there was pain and suffering,

so we don't have to have all that.

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But keep in mind, people

might be expecting that.

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So be prepared to explain

with what you have.

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Your confidence in your conclusion.

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But again, you don't need a lot.

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Um, a lot of that fancy stuff,

um, most people don't use.

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Right?

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But you don't need it for most cases.

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Now, if you have access to things,

you also have to understand the

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implications of using advanced

diagnostics and potential complications.

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So sometimes simple is best

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DrG: What is the importance of the shelter

support team in veterinary forensic cases?

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Jennifer Bonovich: It is very important.

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It depends on your leadership and your

relationships with your animal control and

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local jurisdictional police departments

with whom you are contracted to work.

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So if you have these good relationships.

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Then open air conversations, right?

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And understanding does your

local law enforcement know

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what to look for in the field?

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I did create a course for local law

enforcement so that they could understand

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what animal crimes look like in the field.

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So they might think something's

like something worth

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pursuing and it's really not.

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Versus they're ignoring something

they might see every day that

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they should be bringing up to us.

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Your shelter management, i'm very

fortunate that our shelter leadership

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is very pro pursuing cases, and in

doing so, it makes it easier for me.

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I may not have a large budget for

it, but they are supportive of it.

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So collaboration is extremely important.

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We need to take the walls down and realize

that we will not make progress if we think

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we have to stay in that little bubble.

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We start expanding out and getting to

know our local solicitor's office, find

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the people who are, um, more into helping

animals and you'd be amazed at what

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type of exponential impact you can make.

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DrG: Fantastic.

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Well, thank you very much for being here

and thank you for your presentation.

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Jennifer Bonovich: My pleasure.

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About the Podcast

The Animal Welfare Junction
Veterinary Forensics
The Animal Welfare Junction is a podcast developed to bring awareness to different topics in animal welfare. The host, Michelle Gonzalez (Dr. G) is a veterinarian who provides affordable veterinary care in the State of Ohio, and also a Forensic Veterinarian helping with the investigation and prosecution of cases of animal cruelty and neglect.
The topics presented are based on the experiences of Dr. G and our guests and include discussions about real cases, humane projects, and legal issues that affect animals and the community. Due to the nature of the discussion, listener discretion is advised as some topics may be too strong for some listeners.

About your host

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Alba Gonzalez

Michelle González (DrG) was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Her passion growing up was to become a veterinarian. She obtained a B.S. in Zoology at Michigan State University and the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at The Ohio State University, followed by a 1-yr Internship in Medicine, Surgery, Emergency and Critical Care at the University of Missouri-Columbia. In 2006 she founded the Rascal Unit, a mobile clinic offering accesible and affordable sterilization, and wellness services throughout the State of Ohio.
Dr. G is involved in many aspects of companion veterinary medicine including education, shelter assistance and help to animals that are victims of cruelty and neglect.
DrG completed a Master’s degree in Veterinary Forensics from the University of Florida and a Master’s in Forensic Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University. She is currently enrolled at the University of Florida Forensic Science program. She assists Humane organizations and animal control officers in the investigation, evaluation, and prosecution of cases of animal cruelty and neglect.