Two Cloned Dogs Have Pups

(NEWSER) - The owner of hero 9/11 sniffer dog Trakr has been presented with four new bouncing baby ... Trakrs, reports TMZ. The four black puppies with piercing blue eyes are all clones of their hero pop. Just in time, too—the original Trakr died in April at the age of 15. He was picked as "super clone worthy" by the California company BioArts International as part of its "Golden Clone Giveaway." More»

Critics say there may be many failures for every high-profile success

(NEWSER) - Canine cloning looks set to become big business but critics warn that deformed and diseased failures could outnumber the tail-wagging successes, Wired reports. Cloning fails far more often than it succeeds, and dogs are notoriously hard to clone. A Humane Society report earlier this year charged that "serious animal suffering and disreputable activities" lurk behind pet cloning. More»

World's first commercial clones

(NEWSER) - South Korean scientists have made the world’s first commercial clones, creating five copies of a heroic pit bull named Booger, the Times of London reports. The little Boogers were ordered and paid for—at an introductory rate of $50,000—by Hollywood screenwriter Bernann McKinney, owner of the now-departed original. McKinney says the first Booger saved her life after she was horribly mauled by her pet mastiff. More»

Royal pair spotted with a new black Lab, says tabloid

(NEWSER) - The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge reportedly have a new bundle of joy, but it's a bit more furry than the one diehard royal watchers were hoping for. Prince William has given Kate Middleton a Labrador retriever puppy, reports the Mirror , likely for her 30th birthday. “The dog is ever so cute,” a "source" tells the tabloid. “The Duke and Duchess have been seen with it several times and he runs along at their heels. They are constantly in fits of laughter as it tries to catch them up.” The trio has been spotted walking along the beach near their home in Wales, and People has the photographic evidence here . More»

Lawyer says the dog has 'never been the same'

(NEWSER) - A lawyer for an alleged mobster is asking a judge for leniency in sentencing, saying his client's small Maltese puppy was traumatized when an FBI team stormed into his Staten Island home and tossed concussion grenades. The dog was thrown across the room by the blast and "has not been the same since," the attorney says in a court filing, calling the arrest "an operation worthy of an honorable mention next to the recent and well-publicized Navy SEAL commando raid in Pakistan." More»