2 This poses the major points and challenges of forensic interest the nature and location of injuries and the final cause of death are not the only topics of attention. 9 When a bite mark is caused by an animal, the following three patterns can be observed: nonfatal bite wounds, fatal bite wounds, and postmortem lacerations of the victim’s body. 2– 8 A bite mark is defined as a physical alteration in a medium caused by the contact of teeth. Most of the dogs involved in these events are known to the victim or belong to him. The alarming statistics reported around the world 2, 3 have shown that dog attacks today represent a health hazard where prevention strategies have not always been successful.
1 However, as the result of the most diverse causes, this interaction has not been free of conflicts. Keywords: fatal dog attack, scavenging, bite mark, dog behavior, forensic pathology, forensic dentistryĭomesticated animals, particularly dogs, have provided companionship, labor, recreation, and entertainment for humans. Prevention and mitigating strategies focused on both breed-specific legislation and the legal responsibility of the owner for the dog's behavior are discussed. Since dog bite mark analysis should involve different forensic professionals such as pathologists, odontologists, veterinarians, biologists, and also police investigators, a review focused on this type of evidence from a multidisciplinary point of view is presented.
A scientific inclusion/exclusion of the dog involved is possible and also recommended because of the possible consequences for the owner of the animal.
Bite marks must be discriminated from other traumas, and the familiarity of the investigator with different patterns of animal behavior can be of great importance in the correct assessment of the offending specie. An appropriate forensic approach should include an exhaustive analysis of the scene, the victim, and the dog. Dogs’ teeth have particular features, and the resulting bite marks are a major point of forensic interest mainly in the absence of witnesses or in cases where postmortem dog interference can be misinterpreted. Gabriel M Fonseca, 1 Esther Mora, 2 Joaquin Lucena, 3 Mario Cantin, 4ġFaculty of Dentistry, Laboratory of Forensic Dentistry, University of La Frontera, Temuco, Chile 2Dental Sinai Hospital & Research Center, 3Forensic Pathology Service, Institute of Legal Medicine, Seville, Spain 4Faculty of Dentistry, Doctoral Program in Morphological Science, Universidad La Frontera, Temuco, ChileĪbstract: The interaction between domestic animals and humans has not been free of conflicts, and dog attacks represent a real problem, not only for the health consequences, but also for the possible criminal, and can affect the legal or financial outcomes.