Florida couple clones beloved dog for $155,000.

[Thanatos]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/01/29...dog/index.html

Every dog has his day, but Sir Lancelot -- or at least his carbon copy -- has a second one.

A Boca Raton, Florida, couple paid a California firm $155,000 to clone their beloved Labrador retriever, who died from cancer a year ago. The clone, a 10-week-old puppy dubbed Lancey, was hand-delivered to them earlier this week by Lou Hawthorne, chairman of BioArts International, a biotechnology company.

"One minute with Lancey and you know he's special. He's both extremely aware and very sweet," Hawthorne said in a BioArts statement.

Edgar and Nina Otto said they began thinking about cloning Sir Lancelot about five years ago.

"I said 'Well, you know, it wouldn't hurt to have his DNA frozen,' and that's what we did," Nina Otto told CNN affiliate WPBF.
The Ottos were one of five families to bid and win a BioArts auction for a chance to clone their family dog, according to a BioArts statement. Lancey is the world's first commercially cloned dog, the company said; the Ottos are the first of six current clients to receive their clone.

Sir Lancelot's DNA sample was sent to the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation in Seoul, South Korea, which provides cloning services to BioArts. Researchers there put the DNA into an egg, and Lancey was born November 18, according to BioArts.


The Ottos said they have had many beloved dogs over the years -- and have nine others currently -- but maintain Sir Lancelot was special.

"Sir Lancelot was the most human of any dog we've ever had," Edgar Otto said in the BioArts statement. "He was a prince among dogs."

In an interview with WPBF, Edgar Otto said Sir Lancelot "was a very, very, very special dog to us. And we've given a lot more to the Humane Society than we've ever spent on this project."

For its part, the Humane Society of the United States says it's against the commercial cloning of animals.

"Given the current pet overpopulation problem, which costs millions of animals their lives and millions in public tax dollars each year, the cloning of pets has no social value and in fact may lead to increased animal suffering," the organization said on its Web site.
"For those looking to replace a lost pet, cloning will not create an animal identical to the one who is gone; cloning cannot replicate an animal's uniqueness. Cloning can only replicate the pet's genetics, which influence but do not determine his physical attributes or personality."


The Ottos, however, said replicating Sir Lancelot's genetics is enough for them. Edgar Otto said he realizes Lancey might not be just like their departed dog, but "if he's different, we're not going to love him any less."

It's their money, but still, this is ridiculous. The worst part for me was:

The Ottos, however, said replicating Sir Lancelot's genetics is enough for them. Edgar Otto said he realizes Lancey might not be just like their departed dog, but "if he's different, we're not going to love him any less."

If that's the case, WHY DID YOU BOTHER WITH THE CLONING IN THE FIRST PLACE?

[Kiljan Arslan]

ing ing . Just get a ing new puppy!

[Lord Feloric's Ambassador]

My Lord is glad there are Humans that care about canines as much as he does, but this cloning technology sounds highly disturbing. My Lord just cannot concieve of any advantage to cloning an entire being.

[AqD]

My Lord is glad there are Humans that care about canines as much as he does, but this cloning technology sounds highly disturbing. My Lord just cannot concieve of any advantage to cloning an entire being.

It's no less disturbing than that some people think cloning life disturbing, since nobody is hurt.


Great work BTW! Wish the dog can live long and happy! :thumbsup4 We have created life!!!!!!!

[Kiljan Arslan]

It's no less disturbing than that some people think cloning life disturbing, since nobody is hurt.


Great work BTW! Wish the dog can live long and happy! :thumbsup4 We have created life!!!!!!!

it is disturbing that they spent 155,000$ on something that should cost at most a few thousand.

[Thanatos]

it is disturbing that they spent 155,000$ on something that should cost at most a few thousand.

Which is just as much of a waste of money. Several thousand? On a ing pet? Are you kidding me?

Get a new pet. There's millions of people out there starving to death, and you're going to blow several thousand on a stupid pooch or cat?

People have messed up priorities.

[AqD]

it is disturbing that they spent 155,000$ on something that should cost at most a few thousand.

Why's wrong with contributing to the science research?

[Thanatos]

Why's wrong with contributing to the science research?

Except it's not research, because they already know how to clone. The most you could call it is "practice," if even that.

This wasn't grant money, so you can't say it's contributing to research.

[Yosemite]

My Lord is glad there are Humans that care about canines as much as he does, but this cloning technology sounds highly disturbing. My Lord just cannot concieve of any advantage to cloning an entire being.

your lord sucks bro

[The Good]

Not only was it unnecessary, I question the ethics of cloning altogether. If a humans are cloned, will their clones be treated as mostly inferior to normal human beings, outcasts from public society (outside of scientific circles), "Frankensteins?" Or will they be somehow considered superior to us?

[vizi]

Not only was it unnecessary, I question the ethics of cloning altogether. If a humans are cloned, will their clones be treated as mostly inferior to normal human beings, outcasts from public society (outside of scientific circles), "Frankenstiens?" Or will they be somehow considered superior to us?

We are in dire need of a new slave caste

[Time Commander Bob]

If people want to waste their money, let them. At least then it might end up in the hands of people slightly less stupid.

Not only was it unnecessary, I question the ethics of cloning altogether. If a humans are cloned, will their clones be treated as mostly inferior to normal human beings, outcasts from public society (outside of scientific circles), "Frankenstiens?" Or will they be somehow considered superior to us?

What about just as equals? I doubt anyone would be able to tell the difference from someone who has been cloned and someone who was born normally (to my knowledge at least). Cloning does not imply that it will create some sort of master race or slave caste, but I do agree we should tread carefully with it as there are plenty of people who may use it maliciously.

[Bovril]

The sad thing is I can easily imagine people cloning their dead children as well as their dead dogs.

If people want to waste their money, let them. At least then it might end up in the hands of people slightly less stupid.

The time, effort and resources involved in cloning this dog are gone and they aren't coming back...

[Cluny the Scourge]

It's moronic behaviour, but I can't see it actually hurting anyone other than the idiots choosing to do it. They can't accept their dog is gone - that's unhealthy, both mentally and emotionally. But it's their call. A fool is a fool and ever shall be. Let them.

The sad thing is I can easily imagine people cloning their dead children as well as their dead dogs.

Agreed - it's probably only a matter of time now before this is accomplished, and it will be just as stupid as the case of this dog. But again - what actual harm is it going to do?

[Vizsla]

Seems like they could have saved themselves a lot of time and money if they hadn't had Sir Lancelot's testicles removed. Then they could have had a whole army of little Lanceys at next to no cost. Sir Lancelot would have happily obliged on every available occasion.
How is having your beloved dog's bollocks surgically removed not animal cruelty?

It will be interesting to see if Lancey has a reduced lifespan on account of shortened teleomeres or other biochemical age defining cellular characteristics.

This might be an issue if we cloned humans. If there were lots of clones h.sapiens might also become too genetically homogeneous and succumb to disease.

[The Dude]

Not only was it unnecessary, I question the ethics of cloning altogether. If a humans are cloned, will their clones be treated as mostly inferior to normal human beings, outcasts from public society (outside of scientific circles), "Frankenstiens?" Or will they be somehow considered superior to us?

You'd be a bit of a dick if you'd act differently to a clone just because he's not an original human being. I mean, he's still a human being nonetheless.

So we treat them as equals.

[The Good]

You'd be a bit of a dick if you'd act differently to a clone just because he's not an original human being. I mean, he's still a human being nonetheless.

So we treat them as equals.

If clones would be treated as equals, great, but that's not likely to be the case, assuming humans will be cloned at all. If no one knew the clone's origins, then he/she would blend in fine with the human population, but if many people knew the clone to be... well, a clone, then there will likely be a degree of mistreatment, or some people would even be afraid to go near him/her.

What if, though, the majority of human clones turn out to be genetically superior? Eventually, would eugenics programs be in order for the old or weak humans among some governments (I suspect some totalitarian states may tread on this territory), to constantly replace natural-born humanity with "superior" clones? Remember, though this may be sci-fi thinking here, clones have been the subject of science fiction for some time now. This sort of situation (assuming it would happen) would almost be comparable to sci-fi films dealing with technophobia, like i-Robot, Terminator, The Matrix, and many others.

[Dayman]

If clones would be treated as equals, great, but that's not likely to be the case, assuming humans will be cloned at all. If no one knew the clone's origins, then he/she would blend in fine with the human population, but if many people knew the clone to be... well, a clone, then there will likely be a degree of mistreatment, or some people would even be afraid to go near him/her.

What if, though, the majority of human clones turn out to be genetically superior? Eventually, would eugenics programs be in order for the old or weak humans among some governments (I suspect some totalitarian states may tread on this territory), to constantly replace natural-born humanity with "superior" clones? Remember, though this may be sci-fi thinking here, clones have been the subject of science fiction for some time now. This sort of situation (assuming it would happen) would almost be comparable to sci-fi films dealing with technophobia, like i-Robot, Terminator, The Matrix, and many others.

The definition of a clone means it would be genetically identical to someone else.

There would be no inferiority or superiority on either side. I can't imagine a clone being treated badly, in fact, they'd get tons of attention if anything.

[The Good]

The definition of a clone means it would be genetically identical to someone else.

There would be no inferiority or superiority on either side. I can't imagine a clone being treated badly, in fact, they'd get tons of attention if anything.

Tons of attention... no kidding there, but what kind of attention...

[gambit]

If clones would be treated as equals, great, but that's not likely to be the case, assuming humans will be cloned at all. If no one knew the clone's origins, then he/she would blend in fine with the human population, but if many people knew the clone to be... well, a clone, then there will likely be a degree of mistreatment, or some people would even be afraid to go near him/her.

What if, though, the majority of human clones turn out to be genetically superior? Eventually, would eugenics programs be in order for the old or weak humans among some governments (I suspect some totalitarian states may tread on this territory), to constantly replace natural-born humanity with "superior" clones? Remember, though this may be sci-fi thinking here, clones have been the subject of science fiction for some time now. This sort of situation (assuming it would happen) would almost be comparable to sci-fi films dealing with technophobia, like i-Robot, Terminator, The Matrix, and many others.

Clones would be mistreated as much as anyone is nowadays, a kind of equal discrimination you could say. Racism, for instance, is barely anything today than what it was say 100 years ago. It still exists, discrimination still goes on, but only by people who are, as best as I could put it, soooo last century. Anyone with knowledge on clones know they are just genetic identicals, theres no inferiority.

And yes that kind of thinking in the second paragraph is too sci-fi'ey. (probably not a word) that would be an equivelant of Hitlers master race, and it would be immediatly turned against, especially in todays day and age where even the slightest of unethical actions (like a medic/civilian getting killed in war) are shot across the media like a rocket in a cannon. With turbo boosters.

Anyway, on the dogs topic. A bit unnecessary but I dont really see the huge problem. Some genetics are better, or just more preferable, to others and if this dog was really great; why cant they have another of the same? I see it as a way of cloning being slowly integrated into society.