"Visual identification" refers to the process of recognizing or identifying something or someone based on their appearance or visual characteristics. Full definition
The fact that the policy depends on visual identification of a dog's breed only makes matters worse, and it is particularly harsh in the case of mixed - breed dogs. (blogs.bestfriends.org)
Ear tipping provides immediate visual identification, which alerts animal control that a cat is part of a colony. (petpalanimalclinic.com)
The modern science of genetics renders a breed label based on visual identification problematic. (animallawcoalition.com)