Boca couple pay $155,000 to clone canine

[sixmile]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-cloneddog0126,0,4517688.story

'His name is Lancelot Encore, and he's a clone of the Edgars' late dog Lancelot, a yellow Labrador that died of cancer in January 2008.

Excluding his luxury transport and an overnight stay in California, he cost the Ottos $155,000: the amount bid at a Bay Area biotech firm's dog-cloning auction last July.

BioArts International created him in South Korea, where he was born 10 weeks ago. The Ottos say he's the first single-birth, commercially cloned puppy in the United States.

And he looks just like his namesake.

''He's beyond beautiful,'' cooed Nina Otto, 66, resplendent in red: her T-shirt and jean jacket decorated with sparkly crystal Lab faces.'

(more at link no pics)

[Ilsa]

1. So many dogs are here already, and they choose to clone one? sigh. nt

[hamsterjill]

2. I marvel at the science but question the concept

Too many companion animals die on a daily basis at shelters across the country for the sole reason that they have no where to go.

[flvegan]

3. When you own an $8 million house, it's a drop in the bucket I'm sure.

Seems a bit selfish, though.

[NeedleCast]

4. Cool

I'll be interested to see how long the clone survives.

[onehandle]

5. If I would have had the money, I would have did that with one of our cats.

He was the greatest cat who ever lived.

[TuxedoKat]

10. I would be tempted too

with a couple of my cats. No guarantees that they will look exactly like your pet though, which for me would negate the purpose.

[Initech]

6. As a pet owner I can kind of empathize.

Wait, no I cant. This is fucking stupid. Way beyond fucking stupid.

[Maru Kitteh]

7. That's incredibly sad actually. When the wrinkles in cloning are ironed out, I don't have any

problem with it, including even human cloning. It's merely another means of reproduction. But sadly this couple probably believes this dog will be just like the deceased one - they are trying to recreate him.

Right now cloned higher-order animals (yes, this includes dogs) still live truncated lives characterized by disability and illness.

I don't begrudge them the right to do what they want with their own money, but I find it unfair to the dog.

[Robb]

8. Wow. Just wow. nt

[aquart]

9. These people are insufficiently taxed.

What is the tax on cloning, btw?

[sixmile]

11. Since they were out of state purchasers no CA sales tax

The cloning company will be taxed on profits at the corporate rate in California unless they are wholly owned by an offshore parent which could negate any taxes at all.