Recommended Citation
Kmetiuk, Louise Bach; Maiorka, Paulo Cesar; Beck, Alan M.; and Biondo, Alexander Welker, "“Dying alone and being eaten”: dog scavenging on the remains of an elderly animal hoarder-a case report" (2023). Purdue University Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund. Paper 179.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1161935
DOI
10.3389/fvets.2023.1161935
Date of this Version
8-29-2023
Keywords
animal hoarding, fresh human-meat feeding, forensic veterinary medicine, hoarding behavior, One Health
Abstract
Animal hoarding and human consumption by dogs have been important but often understudied aspects of the human-animal bond that can be addressed within a One Health framework. No scientific report has focused on dog scavenging on animal hoarders to date, despite isolated reports of dog scavenging on human remains, mostly due to starvation. The phenomenon has been approached as a confounding factor for human forensics. In 2014, the Animal Protection Department of Curitiba City was called to rescue and handle ten small dogs which had scavenged for a week on the human remains of their elderly owner, a potential animal hoarder. At inspection, three dead dogs in early putrefaction were also found in the household. Human autopsy revealed body putrefaction and lack of soft organs. Along with the dental arch, DNA testing was performed on the remains for official deceased identification. Due to the potential public health risks of aggression toward frail human beings and for the control of zoonotic diseases, all ten dogs were euthanized. Subsequent investigations by the crime scene police, homicide police, and autopsy services were unable to establish or rule out natural death, criminal or suicidal poisoning, zoonotic disease (rabies), fatal dog attack, or fatal accidental trauma. A general protocol has been proposed for future approaches to dog scavenging and suspicious killing of animal hoarders, as well an assessment for the potential adoption or euthanasia of animals owned by hoarders in these circumstances.
Comments
This is the publisher PDF of Kmetiuk LB, Maiorka PC, Beck AM and Biondo AW (2023) “Dying alone and being eaten”: dog scavenging on the remains of an elderly animal hoarder-a case report. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 10:1161935. This article is distributed under a CC-BY license, and is available at DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1161935.