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                                           HumaneVMA Webinar                                                   

Veterinarians are the Heart:
Your Role in Addressing Animal Cruelty in Your Community

Presented by: Dr. Kris Otteman, DVM, ABVP, CAWA and Linda Fielder, CAWA

Wednesday, September 17, 2025, 8:00-9:30 pm ET
 

Young cat sitting in a kennel

                                               

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This webinar session will equip veterinary professionals with the knowledge and tools to recognize, document, and respond to signs of animal cruelty. Led by experts in veterinary forensics, animal welfare, and legal advocacy, the presentation explores the vital link between animal abuse and human violence and how veterinarians can play a pivotal role in protecting both animals and people. Don't miss this opportunity to make a meaningful impact in your community.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the connection between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence
  • Alleviate concerns voiced by others about reporting animal cruelty including safety concerns
  • Articulate the differences between forensic veterinary medicine and traditional veterinary medicine
  • Identify what is considered relevant evidence in animal cruelty cases
  • Review resources available to find and understand laws in a specific geographic area
  • Create policies and procedures to prepare the practice to respond and report and be prepared when a case is suspected, or you are asked to assist in your community

 

REGISTER HERE 
 

This webinar is FREE for all attendees.
1.5 hours of RACE CE credit is available for HumaneVMA members only.
Not yet a member? Join HERE!

 

YOUR PRESENTERS:

Dr. Kris Otteman, DVM, ABVP, CAWA
Dr. Otteman

Dr. Otteman has over 35 years of experience in veterinary operations, 15 of those spent leading medical operations and humane investigations within a large progressive shelter and the veterinary teaching program at the shelter for Oregon State University. Dr. Otteman is a charter member of the IVFSA and currently serves as president. She also serves on the APA Animal Cruelty Advisory Committee and consults for ALDF on animal cruelty investigation cases. She has contributed to hundreds of animal cruelty investigations and is passionate about the importance of the veterinary contribution to this work. As a co-founder of Victim to Verdict, Dr. Otteman has focused her attention on delivering educational and consultation resources about all aspects of animal cruelty investigations to the profession and all collaborates in this work through co-creating a text and online course, as well as delivery of in-person and online training.

 

Linda Fielder, CAWA
Linda Fielder

Linda has been active in the animal welfare and sheltering field for over 25 years in many capacities including director of shelter medicine, director of humane law enforcement and in her current role as Humane Investigations Manager with the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Criminal Justice Program. She currently oversees ALDF’s Collaborative Response Project, which puts into practice many of the concepts introduced in this course.

Linda co-authored Animal Cruelty Investigations: A Collaborative Response from Victim to Verdict and is a cofounder of Victim to Verdict and the online course Victim to Verdict: The Veterinarian’s Role in Animal Cruelty Investigations. She serves on the Board of the International Veterinary Forensic Sciences Association and presents nationally and internationally about animal crime scene processing, the Link between animal cruelty and other crimes, and the role of the veterinarian in animal cruelty investigations.