Doggy DNA database adopted by Gloucestershire cops to bring crims to heel
- Reference: 1624542311
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/06/24/doggy_dna_database_adopted_by/
- Source link:
Dubbed DNA Protected, the programme sees pooch parents taking mouth swab samples from their pets, which are analysed for DNA with the result being recorded in a centralised database. Should there be any question about the ownership of an animal, a new sample can be taken for comparison.
It's an alternative to microchipping, and addresses one key flaw: in cases of theft, rather than straying, a ne'er-do-well could remove or swap out a microchip, something that's impossible with a dog's personal DNA.
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"DNA is unique and a fact that has enabled Forensic Services to identify criminals for many years," said head of forensic services Chris Allen. "With the application of the same processes used for human identification, the DNA Protected service promises a searchable database of canine DNA information.
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"I am confident that DNA Protected will greatly assist police in reducing the heart-breaking crime of dog theft and reuniting pets with their owners in the future," he said.
"There has been a national rise in dog thefts since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and I am hopeful that this initiative will help to reassure owners and protect the dogs of Gloucestershire," added temporary chief inspector Emma MacDonald of the need for the database.
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"Dog theft can have a massive impact on the owner and their families as dogs are often seen as family members and as a force we are committed to doing all that we can to prevent dog thefts from happening. All of our police dogs have been profiled and given new Velcro patches for their harnesses which shows our confidence in the scheme."
Mark time
There is, however, a catch. It's not Gloucestershire Constabulary itself which is operating the programme, but a private firm: Cellmark Forensic Services. Customer data is held on a Cellmark database to which the police can submit a query, rather than on the Police National Computer (PNC).
"Cellmark has been at the forefront of forensic DNA profiling for over 30 years and we are pleased to be assisting Gloucestershire Constabulary to prevent and investigate dog theft," said managing director David Hartshorne of his company's involvement.
"We developed the DNA Protected service to assist with crime prevention and to help the police return stolen or lost dogs to their owners and it's great that our forensic DNA tools, which have been used for many years to identify people and investigate crime, will now be used to help combat dog theft."
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Entry into the database isn't free, either: Cellmark charges £74.99 (around $105) for a swabbing kit, analysis service, and entry into the database, and also sells tags and collars marking an animal as "DNA Protected" starting at £4.99 (around $7). ®
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[2] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/22/hyundai_acquires_80_percent_boston_dynamics_stake/
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2019/04/10/woman_calls_cops_on_roomba_in_bathroom/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2018/04/14/ai_roundup/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/08/dooropening_insect_megaswarm/
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Aren't Pet Microchips enough?
Or where do I opt out to have my dogs' DNA not sold to anyone?
Re: Aren't Pet Microchips enough?
From the article: It's an alternative to microchipping...
No it isn't; microchipping is a legal requirement. Having your dog's DNA on record might well be a useful (if expensive) enhancement but it cannot be considered an alternative.
Re: Aren't Pet Microchips enough?
Unfortunately, no. The chip reader isn't that expensive & can be bought commercially by anyone, so a dog snatching crim could scan a dog, find the chip, & remove it or reprogram it as desired. There's _some_ chance of the altered chip getting discovered & acted upon in a way that gets the crims hopefully picked up for the crime of dog theft, but there's _zero_ chance of it happening if they simply remove it entirely. Even worse is that there are shady vetrinarians out there that will remove the previous chip & swap it for a new one, no questions asked for the right price. =-|
Re: Aren't Pet Microchips enough?
Chip readers are cheap, it's like £21 on Amazon.
Re: Aren't Pet Microchips enough?
remove it
I thought it was [1]quite impossible to do :~
reprogram it
How do you reprogram a RFID tag? I would be curious to know.
[1] http://avetsguidetolife.blogspot.com/2014/02/removing-microchips.html
Re: Aren't Pet Microchips enough?
There have been a couple of recent examples of dogs being dumped in remote areas with horrendous id tag removal wounds.
Perhaps we should have a system where the dog's DNA and relevant info is logged on a central database by law. Any purchaser of a dog would pay to enter or modify an entry on the database and would automatically gain read access to information about their dog (breeder, age, id tag, ownership etc) and it would cost the state little or nothing as the cost would be bourne by the dog owners.We could call it a "Digital Dog Licence". As people are paying £1500 for a mongrel sold by a bloke with a transit in a Sainsbury's car park, £150 for a licence seems a small amount to pay.
Re: Aren't Pet Microchips enough?
what happens if i don't pay for the DDL?
Cheap at the price
Some time ago, I was bought a DNA kit, as an option in family history, at about the same price as the animal DNA scheme. At least the animal scheme does have a practical application. In the four years or so since the genealogical application, it has, so far only turned up one connection, that of my Great Grandfather's illegitimate daughter by his, at that time, mistress. Which has long been documented by other means.
He's not your father!
I look forward to the inevitable celeb pet paternity cases!
Bonus
As a bonus it might help catch the buggers who don't pick up after their furry friends!