Jun 17, 2009 5:15 pm US/Pacific
Scientists Clone 9/11 Hero Search And Rescue Dog
LOS ANGELES
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Trakr, a German shepherd, poses with owner James Symington in Los Angeles, July 1, 2008.
Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images
Five clones of a German shepherd that worked as a search-and-rescue dog and found one of the last survivors of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center were presented today to the dog's Los Angeles owner.
James Symington was presented with the puppies by officials from BioArts International, the first company to offer commercial dog-cloning services.
Symington, a retired police officer, was the owner of Trakr, who worked at Ground Zero but died in April from a brain disorder. Symington won an essay contest last year sponsored by BioArts to find the most "clone worthy" dog.
According to the company, dog-cloning services normally cost about $144,000. As the winner of the "Golden Clone Giveaway," Symington received the cloned dogs for free.
"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," Symington wrote in his essay.
According to BioArts, Trakr was featured in books and magazines chronicling the efforts of Sept. 11 heroes. He was also presented with an extraordinary-service-to-humanity award by Dr. Jane Goodall.
"We received many very touching submissions to our contest, describing some truly amazing dogs," said Lou Hawthorne, chief executive officer of BioArts International. "But Trakr's story blew us away. His many remarkable capabilities were proven beyond all doubt in our nation's darkest hour, and we're proud to have cloned him successfully."
The cloned puppies range in age from two to six months.
Symington said he was impressed with the puppies' similarities to Trakr.
"Few dogs are born with exceptional abilities. Trakr was one of those dogs," he said. "And if these puppies have the same attributes as Trakr, I plan on putting them into search-and-rescue so they can help people the way Trakr did."
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
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