[News] Puppy clones? Going once, going twice ...

[fasteddie]

SAN FRANCISCO - A Northern California biotech company announced Wednesday that it will clone dogs for the five highest bidders in a series of online auctions. Some ethicists condemned the offer, fearing it could lead to human clones.

Opening bids start at $100,000 for the service being offered by Mill Valley-based BioArts International. The cloning process is to be performed by a South Korean scientist who suffered international disgrace after being found to have faked research.

BioArts chief executive Lou Hawthorne formerly ran Genetic Savings & Clone, which offered to clone pet cats for $50,000 but folded in 2006 because few were willing to pay so much.

But Hawthorne said in a phone interview that another service his old company provided — the storage of pet DNA for future possible clones — showed him the market for dog clones was strong.

"The average dog owner has a different relationship with his dog than the average cat owner," Hawthorne said. "The level of intensity on the dog side just dwarfed what we saw on the cat side."

To conduct the clonings, BioArts has partnered with a South Korean research team that recently created three clones of Hawthorne's family dog, Missy, who died in 2002.

The team was led by Hwang Woo-suk, who scandalized the international scientific community in 2005 when his breakthrough human cloning research involving embryonic stem cells was found to have been faked.

Tests performed at the University of California, Davis' Veterinary Genetics Laboratory found that DNA samples taken from Missy and the three other dogs appeared to belong to the same individual.

Hawthorne said that after spending 15 years with Missy, he is taking pleasure in seeing her mischievous streak coming out in her clones. They also like steamed broccoli just like she did, he said.

Some groups that monitor advances in genetic technology argue that the company's project, called Best Friends Again, could serve as a gateway to more unsavory practices.

"Many people consider pets to be part of our families," Marcy Darnovsky, associate director of the Oakland-based Center for Genetics and Society, said in a statement. "If we get used to cute cloned puppies, will some people expect cute cloned babies next?"

Wary of working with Hwang
Critics also have lambasted the project for its association with Hwang. Earlier this month, a researcher close to Hwang told The Associated Press that the scientist, who went into seclusion after the deception was exposed, had established a pet-cloning company in Seoul.

Hawthorne said he was wary of working with Hwang at first but said the Korean scientist had assembled the best technology and talent available. All of Hwang's results connected to dog cloning have been independently verified, Hawthorne said.

BioArts said in a statement it has been granted the sole license for cloning dogs, cats and endangered species using patented processes developed for the cloning of Dolly the sheep, the first successfully cloned animal.

Groups critical of the dog-cloning effort also say the process is cruel, arguing that hundreds of failures are typical before one mammal is successfully cloned.

But BioArts found that dogs are much less likely to miscarry or give birth to malformed offspring during the cloning process than other animals, Hawthorne said.

"If everything isn't perfect, it doesn't work at all," he said. "With other species, their reproductive systems are more tolerant of error."

The auctions are scheduled to begin June 18.

Puppy clones? Going once, going twice ... - Cloning and stem cells - MSNBC.com

[ARCHIE]

Like the world dosen't have enough problems all ready.
How sick is this?

[sammiz]

WOW! I had no idea this had been posted. I just started a thread in Off Topic about this very thing! FastEddie, are you reading my mind or what?

[Javathon]

Is this a movie review? I can't we have achieved cloning. Makes me think of that me where Arnold Schwarzenegger got cloned and they only cloning pets. This is crazy.

[nikkik187]

As much as I love my dogs, I couldnt imagine having another. To me there is the one and only jessie and boston and I think it should stay that way. Its like bringing someone back from the dead. creepy.

[mypreciouspups]

OMG, that is horrible.. anne

[BrodyF88]

lol i would so clone my dogs lol they are so cute

[tinav]

from what some doctors have told me clones are like twins....in that you have "good twin" and possibly "bad twin".....but NEVER the same. always two different people or dogs that "might" look the same. so I must say that this guy is a fake in what he is saying (didn't read the whole clip but caught his discription of the dogs personality).


tina

[loveyorks]

Seems to me he'd be more constructive putting time, energy, money and knowledge towards something more meaningful.

[red98vett]

Originally Posted by ARCHIE

Like the world dosen't have enough problems all ready.
How sick is this?

VERY SICK

people will do anything for money and people will fall for it too.

[azkaty]

totally agree Vee!!!

[willowsmom]

I CANT EVEN IMAGINE WHAT MAKES PEOPLE DO THE THINGS THEY DO. I MEAN, I LOVE MY FURBABY WITH ALL MY HEART AND I LOVE HER LITTLE PERSONALITY. SHE BRINGS SO MUCH JOY TO OUR FAMILY AND HEAVEN FORBID SOMETHING HAPPENS TO HER, I WOULD PROBABLY GO CRAZY. THE THOUGHT OF CLONING HER WOULD NOT BE AN OPTION BECAUSE I WOULD WANT THE MEMORIES OF HER, NOT A REPRODUCTION.
PEOPLE WILL DO ANYTHING FOR MONEY. IF THEY ARE WILLING TO SPEND THOSE AMOUNTS ON CLONING, WHY NOT DO SOMETHING EVEN BETTER. DONATE TO A SHELTER, SAVE A DOGS LIFE, ADOPT SEVERAL. GIVE THEM LIFE.I WONT EVEN GO TO A SHELTER BECAUSE IT MAKES ME CRY. WHEN YOU LOOK INTO THE EYES OF THESE BEAUTIFUL CREATURES IT IS SO HARD TO WALK AWAY AND NOT SEE THEM IN YOUR DREAMS. YOU'LL NEVER KNOW TRUE LOVE UNTIL YOU LOOK INTO THE EYES OF AN ANIMAL.

[motherhen_44100]

Originally Posted by fasteddie

SAN FRANCISCO - A Northern California biotech company announced Wednesday that it will clone dogs for the five highest bidders in a series of online auctions. Some ethicists condemned the offer, fearing it could lead to human clones.

Opening bids start at $100,000 for the service being offered by Mill Valley-based BioArts International. The cloning process is to be performed by a South Korean scientist who suffered international disgrace after being found to have faked research.

BioArts chief executive Lou Hawthorne formerly ran Genetic Savings & Clone, which offered to clone pet cats for $50,000 but folded in 2006 because few were willing to pay so much.

But Hawthorne said in a phone interview that another service his old company provided — the storage of pet DNA for future possible clones — showed him the market for dog clones was strong.

"The average dog owner has a different relationship with his dog than the average cat owner," Hawthorne said. "The level of intensity on the dog side just dwarfed what we saw on the cat side."

To conduct the clonings, BioArts has partnered with a South Korean research team that recently created three clones of Hawthorne's family dog, Missy, who died in 2002.

The team was led by Hwang Woo-suk, who scandalized the international scientific community in 2005 when his breakthrough human cloning research involving embryonic stem cells was found to have been faked.

Tests performed at the University of California, Davis' Veterinary Genetics Laboratory found that DNA samples taken from Missy and the three other dogs appeared to belong to the same individual.

Hawthorne said that after spending 15 years with Missy, he is taking pleasure in seeing her mischievous streak coming out in her clones. They also like steamed broccoli just like she did, he said.

Some groups that monitor advances in genetic technology argue that the company's project, called Best Friends Again, could serve as a gateway to more unsavory practices.

"Many people consider pets to be part of our families," Marcy Darnovsky, associate director of the Oakland-based Center for Genetics and Society, said in a statement. "If we get used to cute cloned puppies, will some people expect cute cloned babies next?"

Wary of working with Hwang
Critics also have lambasted the project for its association with Hwang. Earlier this month, a researcher close to Hwang told The Associated Press that the scientist, who went into seclusion after the deception was exposed, had established a pet-cloning company in Seoul.

Hawthorne said he was wary of working with Hwang at first but said the Korean scientist had assembled the best technology and talent available. All of Hwang's results connected to dog cloning have been independently verified, Hawthorne said.

BioArts said in a statement it has been granted the sole license for cloning dogs, cats and endangered species using patented processes developed for the cloning of Dolly the sheep, the first successfully cloned animal.

Groups critical of the dog-cloning effort also say the process is cruel, arguing that hundreds of failures are typical before one mammal is successfully cloned.

But BioArts found that dogs are much less likely to miscarry or give birth to malformed offspring during the cloning process than other animals, Hawthorne said.

"If everything isn't perfect, it doesn't work at all," he said. "With other species, their reproductive systems are more tolerant of error."

The auctions are scheduled to begin June 18.

Puppy clones? Going once, going twice ... - Cloning and stem cells - MSNBC.com

even if you clone a dog it doesn't mean that dog will have the same temperment or charachater that your dog had. I loved my maggie, but cloning wouldn't have brought her back. she would have had a different nature. disposition. Cloning only looks like the other dog.
disappointment.
hugs motherhen

[motherhen_44100]

Originally Posted by fasteddie

SAN FRANCISCO - A Northern California biotech company announced Wednesday that it will clone dogs for the five highest bidders in a series of online auctions. Some ethicists condemned the offer, fearing it could lead to human clones.

Opening bids start at $100,000 for the service being offered by Mill Valley-based BioArts International. The cloning process is to be performed by a South Korean scientist who suffered international disgrace after being found to have faked research.

BioArts chief executive Lou Hawthorne formerly ran Genetic Savings & Clone, which offered to clone pet cats for $50,000 but folded in 2006 because few were willing to pay so much.

But Hawthorne said in a phone interview that another service his old company provided — the storage of pet DNA for future possible clones — showed him the market for dog clones was strong.

"The average dog owner has a different relationship with his dog than the average cat owner," Hawthorne said. "The level of intensity on the dog side just dwarfed what we saw on the cat side."

To conduct the clonings, BioArts has partnered with a South Korean research team that recently created three clones of Hawthorne's family dog, Missy, who died in 2002.

The team was led by Hwang Woo-suk, who scandalized the international scientific community in 2005 when his breakthrough human cloning research involving embryonic stem cells was found to have been faked.

Tests performed at the University of California, Davis' Veterinary Genetics Laboratory found that DNA samples taken from Missy and the three other dogs appeared to belong to the same individual.

Hawthorne said that after spending 15 years with Missy, he is taking pleasure in seeing her mischievous streak coming out in her clones. They also like steamed broccoli just like she did, he said.

Some groups that monitor advances in genetic technology argue that the company's project, called Best Friends Again, could serve as a gateway to more unsavory practices.

"Many people consider pets to be part of our families," Marcy Darnovsky, associate director of the Oakland-based Center for Genetics and Society, said in a statement. "If we get used to cute cloned puppies, will some people expect cute cloned babies next?"

Wary of working with Hwang
Critics also have lambasted the project for its association with Hwang. Earlier this month, a researcher close to Hwang told The Associated Press that the scientist, who went into seclusion after the deception was exposed, had established a pet-cloning company in Seoul.

Hawthorne said he was wary of working with Hwang at first but said the Korean scientist had assembled the best technology and talent available. All of Hwang's results connected to dog cloning have been independently verified, Hawthorne said.

BioArts said in a statement it has been granted the sole license for cloning dogs, cats and endangered species using patented processes developed for the cloning of Dolly the sheep, the first successfully cloned animal.

Groups critical of the dog-cloning effort also say the process is cruel, arguing that hundreds of failures are typical before one mammal is successfully cloned.

But BioArts found that dogs are much less likely to miscarry or give birth to malformed offspring during the cloning process than other animals, Hawthorne said.

"If everything isn't perfect, it doesn't work at all," he said. "With other species, their reproductive systems are more tolerant of error."

The auctions are scheduled to begin June 18.

Puppy clones? Going once, going twice ... - Cloning and stem cells - MSNBC.com

even if you clone a dog it doesn't mean that dog will have the same temperment or charachater that your dog had. I loved my maggie, but cloning wouldn't have brought her back. she would have had a different nature. disposition. Cloning only looks like the other dog.
disappointment.
hugs motherhen