It’s never easy to say goodbye to a beloved pet, but those who can’t let go are shelling out $150,000 to clone their pet according to The Learning Channel’s I Cloned My Pet.
While it’s not exactly raising Fluffy from the grave, biotechnological cloning is the process used to create copies of DNA fragments, cells, or organisms, and it’s come a long way since Dolly the sheep was cloned in 1996. Cloning has progressed to the degree that, in 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the human consumption of meat and other products from cloned animals, with no special labeling required.
The TLC show follows a group of dedicated animal lovers desperate to be reunited with their beloved pets, and they’re prepared to do what most of us cannot imagine: create a copy of their furry friend using state-of-the-art technology.
One couple from Boca Raton, Florida, Edgar Otto, heir to a NASCAR fortune, and his wife, Nina, provide a home to four birds, 10 cats and six sheep along with ten dogs. They stored a sample of DNA of one of their favorite pets, a golden Labrador retriever named Sir Lancelot, and in November 2008, after Lancelot died from cancer, they were one of the first people to purchase a successful dog clone for a price of $155,000.
“Lancelot Encore” was born from a surrogate dog at a research firm in South Korea. Nicknamed “Lancey,” the Ottos were one of the first families in the United States with a cloned dog. While some have criticized the couple’s decision, saying that the money could have been better spent at the local humane society, Edgar Otto says, “We have gotten some negative feedback from people on the price, but we feel it is worth it.”
Pups of a clone
The Ottos have since decided to breed their cloned dog with a registered purebred female Lab. “We needed a female and there were a lot of people that might not have wanted to use a dog that might not have had a pedigree at the time," said Nina Otto, noting that Lancelot Encore isn’t registered by the American Kennel Club because of his cloned background. However, she found another kennel club that has agreed to register Encore and his offspring as Labs.
Born on July 4, the birth announcement of eight “future pups from the past” was posted on the Ottos’ website, which is dedicated to “educating, sharing and chronicling with the world this first-time phenomenon.” The pups are staying put with their mom until they are old enough to adopt. The Ottos plan to sell seven of the half-cloned dogs for an undisclosed price and keep one for themselves.
It’s only a matter of time before Hollywood comes knocking. Surely, there will be a feature film about a cloned pet; though we’ll have to wait and see as to whether it’s a comedy (Beethoven’s Multiplicity), horror (The Buddies from Brazil), drama (Never Let Me Go, Benji), adventure (Jurassic Dog Park), or romantic comedy (The Truth About Cloned Cats & Dogs).
If you had the chance, would you clone your pet? Keep in mind that there are thousands of animals in need of a loving home, so please consider adopting an adorable addition to your family from your local humane society.
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