9/11 Search and Rescue Dog Lives on in Five Clones

by Kristen Seymour (Subscribe to Kristen Seymour's posts): Jun 19th 2009 @ 12:00PM Filed Under: Dogs

Trakr lives on in five cloned pups. Photo: AP

Trakr, a German Shepherd who died in April at the age of 16 from a degenerative brain disease, will live on in more than just his owner's memories. BioArts International has produced five genetic clones of the heroic dog.

So, why Trakr? Truth be told, he was an incredibly special dog. According to the NY Daily News, he and his owner, James Symington, were among the first K-9 teams at Ground Zero on September 11. They helped to locate the final human survivor, trapped beneath 30 feet of unstable debris.

Symington entered and won BioArts' Best Friends Again contest. In his essay, Symington wrote, "Once in a lifetime, a dog comes along that not only captures the hearts of all he touches but also plays a private role in history."

BioArts CEO, Lou Hawthorne, said, "Trakr's story blew us away."

What an understatement! The only thing our dogs search for and rescue are biscuits, and occasionally food that falls from the table. (Doesn't stop us from wanting to clone them anyway!)

Although BioArts has no plans for another contest, Hawthorne says, "it's not out of the question." Folks interested in cloning an animal can do so, though, through subsidiary, Encore Pet Science, for $138,500. If you don't have the cash on hand for that just yet, you can opt for gene banking, which is the preservation of a pet's DNA for possible later use in cloning, for $1450.

The steps leading up to the cloning of an animal are simple. According to Hawthorne, all dogs and dog lovers are welcome. "The dog's regular veterinarian must collect a small skin biopsy from the dog using standard, sterile procedures and ship it to us in a special temperature-controlled shipper that we provide for the purpose. Once we receive it, we handle the rest."

"Assuming the skin biopsy is good, success is likely," he continued. "A good skin biopsy can be collected from an animal while it's living, even if it's old or ill, or within a few days after death, if the animal's body is kept cool prior to collection of the biopsy."

Tags: bioarts-international, clone, cloning, german-shepherd, k-9, search-and-rescue, september-11, trakr

Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

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#1 nina brown 6-19-2009 @ 8:23PM

nothing better to do with your money, there are so many pets
for adoption that are worth saving

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#2 Ann P 6-20-2009 @ 1:02PM

I agree there are so many unwanted pets in the world that it seems rediculous to clone 5 more, even if it is a special dog

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#3 dimples 6-20-2009 @ 2:43PM

I love my dog to death but I feel if I had lost my loved one (human) I would hold onto memories, not want to CLONE them. I feel the same about my pets. Life has its time to be over. Adopt!!! I did.

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#4 dogs rule 6-20-2009 @ 3:43PM

So, if they're clones, that means he's got five puppies with the potential of dying of a degenerative brain disease? A little selfish I'd say. and yes.... With all the dogs needing homes out there (I myself have 4 rescues, and feel sad knowing I've not even made a dent) why are we creating more? It's enough we're battling the breeders, but now the home-grown product enters the market. sigh..... He couldn't find another wonderful Shepherd at a rescue?? How do we win?

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#5 rebecca hartman 6-20-2009 @ 4:40PM

Once in a great while a special dog comes along who you become soul bound to just like loving your grandkids, that are a product of your own children, I know you come to love other animals, but i think its a wonderful idea to be able to have the protential to create a second love one

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#6 Trish 8-05-2009 @ 5:45PM

They should have cloned that dog who can ride skateboards! Watch the video to see what I'm talking about:
http://www.iRove.com/videos/025/0025.html

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#7 Trish 6-21-2009 @ 6:08PM

They should clone the dog that skateboards! Here's the video:
http://www.iRove.com/videos/025/0025.html

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