Back when I was a child, DNA testing wasn't even available for humans, much less a dog.
As we progress through time, shows like CSI are becoming more of a reality than just something that fascinates us on television.
If you think its unusual for a crime to be solved using canine DNA, think again. Sounds like a CSI case? When Marilyn Christian’s beloved cat, Cody, was found dead under suspicious circumstances two years ago, she vowed to seek justice. Christian suggested to animal control officers that perhaps they could take a DNA swab of her neighbor's dog, Lucky, to find out if he had anything to do with Cody's death. Cody had hairs on his paws and in his mouth that seemed to be a match for Lucky, but animal control officers basically felt Christian was watching too much CSI. Eventually, Marilyn Christian paid $500 for a DNA test and what do you know?
The DNA of Lucky was sent to a Veterinary Genetics Lab at the University of California at Davis, which has the largest database of domesticated-animal DNA in the country. The result? A one in 67 million chance the hair belonged to any animal other than Lucky. While Christian didn't get the justice she sought after (the owners and Lucky moved away and animal control officers refused to label Lucky as a vicious dog), she was able to determine the culprit behind her beloved cat's death. Whether the animal is a victim, perpetrator or even a witness, DNA of animals is becoming more widely used to help solve crimes. When someone loses their family pet, it becomes personal and emotions run high. Pet owners seek resolutions if they've lost a family pet due to aggressive neighborhood dogs or even perhaps something worse such as a crime committed towards their pet by a neighbor. Law enforcement officials have come to share Marilyn's interest in applying forensic methods to cases involving animals.
Beth Wictum, acting director of the lab’s forensics division, has said that an animal's DNA can help tremendously when trying to solve cases involving animals. "There’s some real serious cases where animal DNA has played a role in helping solve a case,” said Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey, a DNA expert who has asked investigators to collect DNA samples from murder suspects’ pets at crime scenes. “I believe, over time, DNA will be used more and more to help solve cases that involve an owner's animal." Beth Wictum’s lab usually handles between 150 to 200 cases per year sent to their lab from around the world. Using animal DNA to solve cases is not the only reason it is sent to genetic laboratories. Animal Scientists deal with issues, as well, other than pet-on-pet attacks. They also process evidence from cases involving animal attacks on humans, human attacks on animals, and even human crimes against each other in which an animal may yield important clues. In one case, the lab used DNA testing to match dog excrement found on the bottom of a murder suspect’s shoe to excrement found near the crime scene — a piece of evidence that helped secure the man’s conviction. In yet another, a woman could not identify a man in a line up suspected of attacking her but she did remember that her dog had urinated on the man's truck tires! The dog’s DNA matched DNA traces found on the truck’s tire and the suspect pleaded guilty.
ASPCA forensic veterinarian Melinda Merck relies on the same techniques as standard crime scene investigators; ballistics, toxicology, blood spatter analysis to help solve animal cruelty cases across the country. As the interest for using animal DNA grows, in helping solve crimes, so does the need for more training. Colleges are just now beginning to take note. This year, Purdue University’s School of Veterinary Medicine began offering a forensic veterinary medicine course, believed to be the first of its kind in the country. Professor Janice Sojka said she recognizes a need for the course after noticing a recent explosion of interest in the field.
But there are other important reasons for submitting canine DNA to genetic laboratories. DNA can also help breeders tremendously where studies are being conducted in determining genetic health issues in dogs. Many studies are underway to help find DNA markers that would rule out "carriers" for various ailments that have a genetic component. Once such studies are completed, they will be of tremendous help for breeders to know which dog NOT to breed. Although we are years away from having a perfect breeding dog, the fact that interest is growing in such studies is an improvement in the right direction. As a breeder for Goldendoodles, we provide each doodle buyer with a DNA application so that they can submit their Goldendoodle's DNA to VETGEN (a genetic laboratory). Storage fees are affordable and a canine's DNA can be stored for up to 10 years. We encourage each buyer to submit their doodle's DNA so that if a health issue arises at any time during the life of their dog that they feel has a genetic component, the DNA can be tested to find out if indeed the dogs' health issue is or isn't genetic. Not all canine health issues are genetic in nature, even when a veterinarian feels that it is and tells the owner that it is. Analyzing the DNA of a canine will tell the owner...and the breeder...with 100% certainty, whether or not their dog's issue came from its parents. Usually when something goes wrong with someone's dog, the owners seek some sort of justice and usually turn towards the breeder if the veterinarian has pointed the finger in that direction by claiming the dogs' ailment was caused by its genetics. The pursuit of justice, however, is usually very expensive and frustrating. Expensive for the owner and frustrating for the breeder. In a race against the many genetic diseases that affect purebred or hybrid dogs, canine laboratories around the world are working hard to expand the genetic disease detection services they may offer. While some breeds of dogs already have specific DNA markers to identify those who are affected and those who are carriers, testing is still underway for other breeds of dogs where such testing is lacking or not available. In time, perhaps it will be possible to own a genetically perfect dog as well as solve all crimes involving animals using their DNA. It will not longer just be something we've seen on television.
Author-breeder/ 2007: Dee Gerrish of Goldendoodle World
