Patent ID: 7217182

Claim:
A protective tool for assisting in field dressing an animal wherein an incision has been made thru the skin of the animal adjacent the forward end of the pelvic crest, said tool comprising a protective shield and a handle connected thereto, said shield having an upper surface and a lower surface, a first longitudinal dimension, and being of rigid material having an integrated thickness of from about 1/64 in. to about ¾ in., a uniform or varying width of from about 0.5 in. to about 6.0 in., and a length of from about 3.0 in. to about 9.0 in., wherein the shield has a distal portion and a proximal portion lying in said first longitudinal dimension, and wherein the upper surface of said distal portion is laterally convex, said shield and handle being connected together at the proximal portion of said shield at an included angle “α” of from about 80° to about 170°, and wherein said shield is free of any abrasive or jagged edges or surfaces, whereby said shield can be pushed by said handle thru said incision and rearwardly under said pelvic crest to overlie the viscera of the animal which lies under the pelvic crest without damage to the viscera, and thereby to protect the viscera from being ruptured by a cutting device being used to cut thru the pelvic crown longitudinally thereof.