OKLAHOMA CITY, April 12 (UPI) -- Oklahoma ranchers are finding DNA is an effective weapon against cattle rustlers.
A rancher in Woodward County recently turned to DNA analysis to help find his stolen cattle and a suspect was arrested, the Daily Oklahoman reported Monday.
Rancher John Stine paid $544 at a sale barn for a calf he believed was stolen from his herd and then $350 for the DNA analysis that proved it was his.
"I didn't mind doing it because I wanted to prove a point," he told the Oklahoman. "Getting these people prosecuted is a struggle."
DNA has been used in a few cases in recent years and law officers have found it effective. The drawback is the cost.
An official at the Oklahoma Agriculture Department expects DNA testing to increase because ranchers have found that it's a good investment. Oklahoma has no livestock branding law.
The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association has used DNA 12 times in the past two years in criminal cases or to establish ownership, officials told the newspaper.
