Using Microscopy to determine if Canine Breeds can be identified for Forensic Purposes Bruerton, J.

(2012), Unpublished

In the 2010/2011 period 46% of the UK had a pet of some description, with 22% being dogs. Meaning in an estimated population of 62.3 million; 13.7 million of Britons have a dog. According to the Home Office, 4,150,097 crimes were committed in the same period in England and Wales and 323,060 in Scotland (giving a total of 4,473,157). It is likely that a proportion of the individuals who committed the 4.5 million crimes may have come into contact with Mans best friend, whether it be his own or the complainants. Pet hair can be the bane of pet owners everywhere as it is almost impossible to prevent it transferring from dog to clothing and furniture. Transfer and persistence of animal hair has tentatively been stated to behave in a manner similar to that of woollen fibres. It is frequently recovered as evidence and if it is possible to identify the breed of the dog, it could provide crucial intelligence to investigative agencies, to identify potential suspects. Dog owners were asked to brush three different areas of the dogs body thirty times with a clean brush each time and bagged individually. Dog hair differs over anatomical regions and the microscopic features were also been examined and compared between areas. In the laboratory, the hairs were examined individually and a macroscopic examination was performed with general details noted, such as colour and texture. Scale pattern casts were created from single hairs. Slides were then examined to view the microscopic features, including but not limited to, the medulla, cortex and cuticle, colour banding, root shape and the Medullary Index. All features were described in each hair and images produced. An attempt was made at a breed identification chart; however the author recommends further research to be performed before the question of whether dog breeds can be identified microscopically can be answered with any degree of certainty.