Fido's Clone Just Ain't Fido

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»

German shepherd who sniffed out WTC survivors will soon have double

(NEWSER) - A retired Canadian rescue dog who helped find the last survivor in the rubble of the World Trade Center has been chosen as the world's most clone-worthy dog, the Globe & Mail reports. A California genetics company chose 15-year-old German shepherd Trakr to be cloned after reading an essay from his owner. Trakr—who now needs a dog wheelchair to get around—will meet his clone later this year. More»

Korean company says it's the first commercial order for a cloned canine

(NEWSER) - A California woman has placed the first order for a cloned dog with South Korean biotech firm RNL Bio, pledging $150,000 for a genetic duplicate of her dead pitbull, Booger, who once saved her from a dog attack, reports the BBC. Seoul National University scientists, who produced the first cloned canine in 2005, will use tissue from Booger’s ear. More»

Cause of death a mystery

(NEWSER) - One of of the world's first two cloned wolves has died due to unknown causes, reports the Korea Times. Snuwolf, 4, was found dead at South Korea's national zoo. Her identical sister, Snuwolffy, remains healthy. "Snuwolf had been in good condition," said Prof. Shin Nam-sik, a leader of the team that cloned the pair. "Wild animals often die suddenly. We will know the cause of death with the results of the autopsy." More»

(NEWSER) - South Korean scientists have cloned a group of four female beagles that glow red under ultraviolet light, the AP reports. The researchers inserted fluorescent genes during the cloning process, an achievement that could lead to advances in human medicine and science. “What’s significant in this work is not the dogs expressing red colors,” the lead researcher said, “but that we planted genes into them.” More»