There are high-profile court cases or TV dramas where DNA saves the day.

Now, science is going to the dogs, as more and more people are turning to high-tech evidence to solve all kinds of cases involving animals.

When Ryan Armstrong was only 7 years old, his thumb was nearly torn off and his chest was punctured by a loose Rottweiler.

“I was very scared. I thought I was going to die right there,” said Armstrong.

Ryan's father worked for years to find the dog, but got nowhere until experts suggested comparing DNA on the jacket Armstrong was wearing to saliva from two dogs in the area.

“If you saw your child laying there all tore up, was this close to death, I think now you need to know who did it, who is responsible for this,” said Ryan's father, Jeff Armstrong.

Animal forensics instructor Dr. Janice Sojka of Purdue University said, “Anything that could be done for human DNA could theoretically be done for animal DNA. They don’t have to have a suspicion about what animal was responsible for something. They can absolutely prove it.”

Sojka said DNA samples could be taken from animal hair or saliva or even items like chew toys. Samples are then sent to a specialized veterinary genetics lab like one located at the University of California, Davis.

“There’s a huge range of sample types and samples that come into the laboratory,” said Elizabeth Wictum of the Veterinary Genetics Lab at UC Davis.

Samples arrive for many kids of cases, not just attacks on humans.

“Sometimes it involves stolen animals. Another scenario is when the animal is actually the perpetrator such as dog attacks on other pets,” said Wictum.

That is what happened to Marilyn Christian. She was heartbroken after her cat, Cody, was killed in her back yard. She was devastated but determined to find the killer.

“We have other small animals as well as children. So, we wanted to make sure that our family was safe, two-legged and four-legged,” said Christian.

Christian said she believed a neighbor’s dog was to blame, but without an eyewitness she was at a loss.

“It was the vet that suggested using the DNA,” she said.

Christian went ahead with the test, comparing the DNA of the suspected dog’s saliva to hairs found on Cody. The lab confirmed her suspicions, telling her there is only a 1 in 67 million chance that the hairs belong to a dog other than her neighbor’s.

“To me, this proved beyond a reasonable doubt that it was in fact that dog,” said Christian.

Shortly after Christian received the results, the animal’s owner moved away.

Ryan's father said he was relieved to finally get justice. After testing two dogs in the area against his son’s jacket, the lab got a match.

“The owner was arrested, charged with having a dangerous dog,” said Armstrong.

The DNA testing ranges from $500 to $1,000, and the results could take anywhere from two to 12 weeks.

Experts said if you are taking DNA from an animal other than your own, you will need to receive permission or a court order.

If you are taking a sample like saliva from an animal deemed dangerous, experts said it is important to have a professional obtain the DNA.