Woman orders dead pit bull cloned

[RealPitBull]

Woman orders dead pit bull cloned

www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Quirks/2008/02/16/woman_orders_dead_pit_bull_cloned/6178/

Published: Feb. 16, 2008 at 2:23 PM
Print story Email to a friend Font size:SEOUL, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- A California woman reportedly is willing to pay $150,000 for a clone of the pet pit bull terrier that saved her when another dog bit off her arm.

Bernann McKunney has contracted with a South Korean firm to clone her dead dog, Booger, who died 18 months ago, the Daily Mail reported Saturday.

Working with tissue preserved from Booger's ear, scientists at RNL Bio said they already have inserted Booger's genetic material into egg cells from a donor dog and implanted the fertilized cells into eight surrogate bitches, the British newspaper reported.

The Seoul company previously cloned an afghan hound in research experiments. Booger's clone would be the world's first commercially cloned canine, or canines, since there could be multiple puppies. McKunney, whose life was saved by Booger when she was attacked by another dog, won't have to pay RNL Bio unless she receives a live clone of her beloved dead pit pull, the Mail reported.

Three years ago, a now-defunct California firm produced the world's first commercially cloned cat for a Texas woman who paid $52,000 to replicate her 17-year-old tabby, Little Nicky.

[valliesong]

Ummmm.... The dog will only be genetically identical, not behaviorally or temperamentally identical.

All the pit bulls dying out there and they are creating EIGHT LITTERS for one puppy. I think I'm going to be sick.

[RealPitBull]

While we were watching basketball a pet pit bull terrier was cloned




McAvoy Layne
Special to the Bonanza
February 22, 2008

Comments (0) Print Email

Remember when your dog died and you protested to your parents through your tears, "There'll never be another dog like Bobo!" Well, guess what? Now there can be another dog exactly like Bobo. Just pack a piece of Bobo's ear tissue in ice, mail it off to South Korea with a check for $150,000, and BINGO! You've got yourself another Bobo.

That's right, it's finally happened, the first commercial order for a cloned pet dog is being filled in Seoul at this very moment.

According to Agence France-Presse, a California woman placed an order to recreate her pit bull terrier, Booger, and ponied-up the asking price of $150,000.

Can you imagine how cool that would be? Every 15 years you could bring back Booger! You could keep on bringing back Booger until your money ran out, or until you ran out of time yourself.

Imagine being 90 years old, and owning the same dog that you've had since you were nine. Though this Booger is not taking naps like you do, no, he's tearing around the house like a six month old puppy, which he is, and jumping into your lap every five minutes with a new toy to chew!

Booger is being cloned by scientists at Seoul National University, where "Snuppy," the first cloned dog was born. I don't know if "born" is the operative word, but you know what I mean.

Koreans must think it odd that anybody would spend that much money to bring back a dog, as they don't hold dogs in very high esteem in Korea. I hear tell they eat dogs in Korea, and a reliable friend told me he saw a Korean cook book entitled, "50 Ways to Wok Your Dog." He claims he was stationed in South Korea and there are thousands of restaurants there that serve dog. What?! How could anybody eat man's best friend?

Heck, in this country we fluff dogs up with hair dryers, trot them around Madison Square Garden at the 132nd Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, and treat the best of show like the Queen of England. This year a beagle named "Uno" topped 2,500 other mutts, then strutted off the stage like he would not let the governor of New York be familiar with him.

One must suspect that the owners of Uno might be very much interested in the makeover of Booger in Seoul.

My feeling on the subject is, you can recreate the corporeal dog, sure, but that cloned dog is not going to walk up to you and lick your face like he's been missing you just like you've been missing him. He's going to look up at you and say, "Who the hell are you?"

So until they figure a way to clone the soul of a dog, I don't think I'm going to buy much stock in that company. You can have your cloned dog that looks just like the old one. Me, I'll take a totally new dog from the Pet Network and take my chances on his being just as good a pet as the old one, maybe better.

Oh, and that $149,990 in change will go a long way toward covering the vet bills, dog food and chew toys for my new Pet Network dog.



McAvoy Layne lives in Incline Village and visits schools as the ghost of Mark Twain.