It's a Crime Scene Investigation unit, but for animals.

On Wednesday night, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) unveiled what it calls its newest mobile "Animal CSI" response vehicle at the third annual Veterinary Forensic Sciences Conference held here in Orlando.

The purpose of this customized 2010 Subaru Outback is to help collect and process evidence at animal crime scenes. Dr. Melinda Merck, Senior Director of Veterinary Forensics at the ASPCA, said that they had it made not necessarily because there's an increase in animal cruelty, but because more people are reporting it and more law enforcement are getting involved.

She told WDBO that they've had a unit similar to this new Subaru before.

"I have a larger 26-foot-long CSI unit that was donated in 2007 to the ASPCA, but we needed a smaller unit so we could reach some of the crime scenes where we can't always get the bigger unit back there," she said. "We needed something that could carry people, supplies and evidence."

Dr. Merck said the older unit was primarily used to examine animals, but the new response vehicle focuses more on examining evidence from animal crime scenes.

"The one [older] unit wasn't enough," she said.

The modified unit is unique and gives them more flexibility. It has everything needed to respond to animal crime - special lighting, a radio, computer, exam table, roof rack and refrigerator to store evidence.

The new unit will be based out of Gainesville, home to ASPCA's other crime scene unit and veterinary forensics program, but it will primarily assist local agencies across the state.

For information on how to get involved with the ASPCA, visit the non-profit organization's website at www.aspca.org.