Video analysis of human and animal interactions for possible use in forensic human DNA identification

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ABSTRACT

Pets, such as cats and dogs, are present in the majority of households and may, in certain circumstances, be a relevant element in criminal investigations. Dogs, in particular, may interact with an intruder resulting in an exchange of trace evidence between the two. To better understand these interactions, fifty videos of dog contacts with an intruder were analysed, noting the location and the type of an interaction. It was found that dogs were more likely to instigate the interaction, jumping on the intruder, and were most commonly contacted on the head and back.

KEYWORDS:

• DNA transfer
• human-animal interactions
• dogs
• forensic investigations

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).