Running the world’s only forensic animal crime lab
At the US Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory, the lab supports a network of federal agents and inspectors who are trying to protect endangered species and take down wildlife traffickers. A seasoned CSI investigator named Ken Goddard, who left human police now works to create this special lab in Ashland, Oregon. Ken discusses the lab’s early beginnings, why he thinks rhinos are nearing extinction, and what it’s like wading through walrus guts in the Arctic. For more information on this article and get the interview with Ken Goddard please go to the website below.
[Abstract written by Mercedes Quick, ForensIQ Intern, 11/17/14]
Pets Helping Solve Crimes with UC Davis Veterinarian Forensic Lab
The work that comes out of the Veterinarian Forensic Lab at UC Davis has changed the way crimes are investigated and prosecuted throughout the world. Accredited by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors, the lab has been nicknamed the “CSI of the four-legged world” and is the nation’s first laboratory dedicated to animal DNA profiling.
The staff at the VFL analyze crime scene evidence that include animal fur or hairs, feces, urine stains and tissue samples to help solve crimes that range from burglary and animal abuse to sexual assault and murder. Besides its work in the United States, the VFL has worked criminal investigations in several countries including Japan, Ireland, Canada, Australia and Argentina.
Pet owners have special bonds with their beloved companions and now thanks to the Veterinarian Forensic Lab, whether the animal is the victim, the perpetrator or simply a witness to a crime, the evidence they provide is making a difference in the way crimes are investigated and prosecuted.
Source: Santa Barbara News: Noozhawk
[Abstract written by Noel Andres, ForensIQ Student Intern, 4/10/14]
Click here to read more about the Veterinairan Forensic Lab at UC Davis!
