Double the fun: Cloned pet company is back.

Lou Hawthorne is back. He's the former CEO of Genetic Savings & Clone -- remember them? They made headlines a few years ago as the first commerical "pet cloning" venture but shut down in 2006 after they couldn't make a go of it.

Lou Hawthorne and three clones.

Now Hawthorne is head of the Best Friends Again project -- kind of a clone of Genetic Savings. Next month, the California company plans to hold an online auction, raffling off cloning rights to five dogs. Starting bid: $100,000.

Two caveats (well, there probably are more than two, but we will leave it there):
* Genetic Savings had to give back "pricey refunds" earlier, Hawthorne said, when it failed to clone cats "because the technology was not refined."
* Best Friends is partnering with Hwang Woo Suk, a South Korean scientist who made headlines in 2004 when he falsely claimed to have cloned human embryos.

Click here for the complete New York Times story.

I've asked this question before and will again:
If money wasn't an object, would you want to clone your pet?

Me, I don't want a duplicate of my animal friends. They can't be replaced or replicated. Just like my human ones.

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This blog is all about living with pets. A place to help understand, care for and have fun with your animals.

Share your stories about your pets’ funny but heartwarming quirks. Show off your videos and photos.

And we’re not only about dogs and cats. Whether you're living with rabbits, birds, reptiles, fish and anything else that constitutes a non-human companion, Sit, Stay, Speak! is here for you.

ANGIE BRENNAN, a Sun-Sentinel page designer, lives with four dogs and one boyfriend. And has a lifetime of animal stories to share.
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JOHN TANASYCHUK, a Sun-Sentinel lifestyle writer, has lived with cats as long as he can remember. He and his partner currently share their home with three.
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Comments

Sorry, but this just reminds me of the book, Pet Sematary ...... so, I guess my answer is, "nope, not interested".

Posted by: es | May 22, 2008 3:44 PM

I don't think it'd be fair to the new cloned pet. Just because it's cloned, is it still going to have all the same personality and mannerisms etc.? I think you'd really expect too much out of the poor pet.

Besides, it's kinda creepy if you want my opinion.

Posted by: KCK | May 22, 2008 5:30 PM