When hundreds of pounds of donated pet food were stolen from local animal shelter, Jonesboro, Arkansas-based Critical Edge donated an IP video system with Axis network cameras and Axis Camera Companion as an efficient and user-friendly safeguard against future break-ins.

The food and supplies, including 600 pounds of dog food, 200 pounds of kitty litter, a washer and a dryer, were all donated by the community and friends of the shelter to be used for a charitable pet food pantry to help families care for their pets during hard times.

“When we saw the news report, we immediately wanted to help," said Michael Allsup, owner/CEO, Critical Edge. “Our office is right around the corner. They are our neighbours. We knew the right system would warn thieves that our community takes security seriously."

Margaret Shepherd, executive director of the Humane Society, said the shelter did not have a video surveillance system in place when the break-in occurred. Due to a lack of video evidence, police were unable to broadcast any images of the suspects or the vehicle to aid in the investigation.

“We were devastated by the loss of our pet food pantry," Shepherd said. “Having a security system and cameras in place will definitely deter people from trying this again."

To help protect against future break-ins and provide video evidence should another occur, Critical Edge installed an Axis small system, edge-storage solution to provide the benefits of IP video - including HDTV-quality video, remote monitoring, quick video search and scalability - in a user-friendly package well-suited for a surveillance technology newcomer, such as the Humane Center.

Critical Edge chose five Axis network cameras for the property, including HDTV 1080p quality and outdoor-ready Axis P13 Series network cameras to cover the exterior of the building and the driveway, and the discrete HDTV 720p quality Axis P33 Series fixed dome network cameras to watch over the animals indoors.

The cameras’ ease of installation features helped Critical Edge get the system up and running quickly, and the outdoor cameras’ environmental enclosures will ensure reliable and vigilant recording in all weather conditions. The system is managed by Axis Camera Companion, a free small system software that enables video to be recorded directly onto the SD card inside Axis IP camera and video encoders. This eliminates the need for a typically expensive and maintenance-heavy DVR often used by analog CCTV in small systems environments. Additionally, following set up, not even a PC is required to run an Axis Camera Companion system.

The Humane Society can now access crisp live and recorded video in HDTV on their PC, over the Internet or on a mobile device, making instant identification of incidents possible both on- and offsite.

“The break-in at the Humane Society shows the security risks faced by organisations of all sizes and in all industries," said Fredrik Nilsson, general manager, Axis Communications, Inc. “Many small businesses and organisations on tight budgets have historically been concerned about the cost and complexity of installing IP video to protect their property and employees. However, thanks to innovations in edge storage and intuitive software like Axis Camera Companion, we can significantly reduce the investment required for a security system while providing all the benefits of IP video. Axis’ small systems solutions provide the same protection demanded by big businesses for even the smallest of organisations."

Critical Edge has dedicated the system in memory of Margaret Petrey, CEO of Jonesboro-based J.T. White Hardware and Lumber Company and a major benefactor and friend of the Humane Society.