victims
lawyers
dog owners
canine professionals
​
DOG LEGAL EXPERTS
We address any and all subjects related to animals that are involved in legal matters.
No matter how the animal is involved, we can be part of the solution.
We cover medical and behavioral issues, as well as stay current
on legal issues such as Service Dog law and Breed Discrimination.
File and case review, reports, evaluations, and testimony are all within our expertise.
Serving greater Los Angeles, CA.
ABOUT US
​
Objective: To serve as an Expert witness for legal cases pertaining to small animal veterinary medicine.
Skill highlights: Highly organized, detail-oriented, innovative, vast knowledge of day to day operations of owning and running busy 60+ year AAHA certified veterinary hospital serving affluent West Los Angeles community, excellent communication skills, pragmatic, good balance between academia and private practice, experience serving on medical advisory boards to research and implement best practices in veterinary medicine.
Dr. Carvalho attended the University of California at Davis for her undergraduate studies. She graduated from Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine in 1992 and completed a small animal medicine and surgical internship at California Animal Hospital in 1993. She became a partner at Brentwood Animal Hospital in West Los Angeles and became a Board-Certified Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in 2002. She currently serves as one of the Medical Directors at VCA Brentwood Animal Hospital and is a Clinical Associate Professor at Western University's College of Veterinary Medicine in Pomona, California.
Dr. Carvalho has served on the Medical Advisory Board of PetDrx Corporation, is currently serving as a member of the Medical Advisory Board of Veterinary Centers of America (VCA corporation) and provides concierge veterinary services. She is an expert contributor for a premiere on line parenting website, www.kidsinthehouse.com, serves on the parent board of the John Thomas Dye School and currently donates of a lot of time and resources to animal rescue organizations.

Sincerely,

​
​
Kimberly Carvalho DVM, Dipl ABVP
Co-Medical Director VCA Brentwood Animal Hospital
11718 Olympic Blvd
LA, CA 90064
310-473-0957
Kimberly Carvalho DVM,Dipi ABVP
​
​
Jill Kessler-Miller
​
As an Investigator there are always red flags, and usually multiples of them. I like putting together all the puzzle pieces, and explaining what happened, how and why.
For my expert work, I have now taken 3 certification courses.
1. Dog Bite Investigation (HSUS): Elements of a dog bite investigation; what evidence to take and how to properly take it; case response and investigation; veterinary forensics ethology; dog-fighting involvement and injuries; different types of aggression.
2. Veterinary Forensics (HSUS): A very intense look into investigating and making cases in animal cruelty cases, involving such abuses as neglect, starvation, beating, killing, hoarding and sexual assault. Protocols in establishing timelines, collecting evidence, making a case for prosecution. I was a biology major and worked for a vet for many years, and understand the medical side.
3. Veterinary Forensics: Bite Marks (ASPCA & Univ. of Florida): 2 days of reviewing animal bite marks. How to identify, preserve and prove a bite. Casting and creating a bite impression from an animal. Using photos as evidence, translating bite marks for attorneys.
As an Evaluator
Besides training my own dogs for show and competition, I have also been involved in evaluating dogs through the American Kennel Club (www.akc.org) as a Canine Good Citizen tester, and as a Chief Tester for the American Temperament Test Society (www.atts.org).
I also assist in evaluating the many Rottweilers that come into our rescue program (www.rottrescuela.org).
I did teach all-breed classes and private training programs for many years, and so I am quite comfortable with both large and small dogs. Of course, the more popular a breed is in the population, the more I handled it, such as Golden Retrievers, Chows, Labrador Retrievers, Cocker Spaniels, Pit Bulls, and, of course, my chosen breed, the Rottweiler.
As a Dog Expert in Legal Matters
I started expert witness work in 2008. I have now worked on over sixty cases, reviewing particulars, writing reports, evaluating dogs and advising, I have testified many times in the Superior Courts of Los Angeles, Contra Costa, Alameda, Riverside and Orange counties, and have been deposed over a dozen times.
​
Sincerely,
​Jill Kessler-Miller
Phone: 310-573-9615