Ed and Nina Otto really loved their dog Lancelot, and when he died of cancer last year, they decided to spend more than $150,000 to get Lancelot cloned. The Florida couple -- who, by the way, have nine other dogs -- sent Lancelot's DNA to a lab in Korea and made Lancelot Encore. What?It may seem completely crazy, but, says Ed Otto, "He was a very special dog to us, and we've given a lot more money to the humane society than we've ever spent on this project."
Sentimental and sweet or totally batcrackers? You decide.
Comments:
Add a comment
Thursday 05 February
By Rico
Cloning is not cute. It involves many ethical problems that we have yet to deal with. We have over population and are trying to sustain our earth; we don't need more dogs. Go to the pound if you want a new dog.
Reply
Wednesday 11 February
By jeannette
when you clone a dog aren't they cloneing more then one to get the right clone? what happends to the other ones?
Friday 06 February
By equinebeautician
if i could afford it, i'd clone my dog. she means the world to me and losing her would be like losing my child...
Reply
Friday 06 February
By joemcbobinite
euthinization isnt nearly as bad as the animal cruelty that still exists...ive seen stuff,theres a damn colliseum like place where ya get a poor lil animal and kill it, beating it the most brutal ways...putting a cat on a bbq then pressing it down with a paddle...chaining a dogs head to an iron gate then jerking it by its legs till its spine breaks or neck snaps..flaying an animal which by the way flay means skin alive...its disgusting the animal just lays there bleeding out waiting to die, why? just for the furs....wrap up warm during winter motherfuckers -.-
Reply
Sunday 08 February
By Aya
I'd clone my cat if I could. She's getting on in her years and I just can't imagine losing her. I can't even go a week without her there let having her die on me. I'd consider it a complete reincarnation with a little human help.
Reply
Monday 09 February
By chigirlmi
I understand how they feel, but there are too many animals being put down everyday. Please go to a shelter and adopt. It will be a different animal but they'll love you just as much.
Reply
Monday 09 February
By Melanie
Congrats to the new pup. I agree that they're are plenty of dogs who need adopting, but they say the've donated more than the cost of the clone to the Animal Shelters in the past, so I can't complain!
Reply
Monday 09 February
By Show Me
I love my dogs and cats as much as my grandkids, but this is just a case of rich people with more money than sense. There are 100's of thousands of dogs put to death every day in this country. Of course the dog is not going to have the same personality. You can clone a body, (as yet to be seen if it can be done without all the medical problems of Dolly the sheep) but you can't clone a personality. That is just like with people, habitat and exposure to situations. You can't go back and clone the first dogs experiences. There is so much better use their $$ could have gone to. Think how much more good it could have done for the local shelters or salvaging some poor dogs from puppy mills. Here's love to my beloved Fraulein, Speckles, Dali, China Blue, Fuzzball, Mr. T, Whitey, and my beloved horse Foxie, and others I've loved and still have with me too.
Reply
Wednesday 11 February
By Hmm
Seems to me, $150,000 could feed a heck of a lot of people... It floors me that people care more about animals than people. HOW can you love your pets as much as your grandkids? Do people even stop to think? I love my dog as much as the next guy, but if I had to chose between him and ANY human on the planet I think you know who I'd chose. Sounds kinda harsh, but every person on the planet is someones father/mother, brother/sister, husband/wife. Would you be mad if someone could have saved your child, but instead chose their dog? I guess they must have the same value of life...
The world is a cruel place and nature is the same. I don't see anyone stopping a hawk from eating a mouse or a lion from eating a gazelle. We should work on being kind to one another and promoting humanity among humans way before imposing some sort of moral code on animals that they don't even undersand.
Reply
Wednesday 11 February
By anyway
So while there are HOMELESS animals living in cold steel cages behind bars who will most likely NEVER get adopted, these MORONS decided to play "God". How about having some true COMPASSION by donating funds in their dog's name to a much needed Animal Shleter instead. Whatever.
Reply
Wednesday 11 February
By anyway
So, while there are HOMELESS animals living in cold cages behind steel bars who will most likely NEVER get adopted, these MORONS decided to play "God". How about having some true COMPASSION by donating funds in their dog's name to a much needed Animal Shelter instead. Whatever.
Reply
Wednesday 11 February
By Michele
I may be the same physically, but it would have a different personality, same as twins are different in a lot of ways.
Reply
Wednesday 11 February
By me :)
You have got to be kidding me- it's not like photo copying. People who think they are preserving their pet by cloneing a new one "just like it" are just foolish. Did you see the pics of the pit bull pups that were clones? They all had patches of white in different places- some on the feet, some on the chest. It doesn't mean your clone will be identical in personality either, just close in features. Truely- go to the pound & save one great dog or cat that you otherwise would have never met... give your extra $150grand to food for the hungry, aids treatment in Africa, or adopt a real child. There are dozens of ways that you can make a difference in someones life!
Reply
Wednesday 11 February
By sher
I love labs...I had one and have one now along other dogs. They can afford to have dog cloned. I can not afford it so I rather take dogs which need home. Any kinds of dogs are sure bringing you many good memories!
Reply
Wednesday 11 February
By sher
It is possible that dog may have different personalities from cloned dog so good to take other dog as well
Reply
Thursday 12 February
By Kathy Heppner
Currently, I have 2 dogs which I adopted through the Human Society....one is a Lab/Golden Retriever and the other is a Siberian Huskey. I have had cats and other dogs in my life and can't imagine life without my pets - they are "woman's best friend!
Why spend $150,000 on cloning a dog - all you are getting is a "look a like" - you have no idea what the personality of the dog will be......
If you have that kind of money to waste send it the Humane Society.....there are many dogs who need second chances....
Reply
Thursday 12 February
By SMRTNUP
I have lost pets, ( one in particular ) and I grieved as though it was a child. . . I still feel sadness when I think of how he died. ( someone shot him twice ). . . I guess if I knew that money would never be a problem for me in my lifetime, I'd go for a cloning of old "ROCKY" . . . If I had saved his DNA. . . Which I didn't . . .
I don't think this practice will ever become highly prolific due to the exorbitant costs involved.
Reply
Friday 13 February
By alyssa
I think that these people sound like true animal lovers and I hope they and Lancelot encore are very happy together. For everyone who posted negative comments, it is none of your business what this couple does with their money! If you're so concerned about animal welfare then why don't you get out there and volunteer or donate? I know I do and I hope you will as well. I'm sure this couple has and will continue helping dogs.
Reply
Saturday 14 February
By Valerie
Ok alot of you obviously didnt see the video or hardly paid ATTENTION to the reading. Because you guys say why would you clone the dog it won't have the same personality DUH!!! Thats what that guy said was that He looks just like him, we are hoping that he will have the same personality as Lancelot but if he doesn't we will still love him anyways. And they spent alot more money for the shelters than on this project. They tried their best to help other animals. WHY can't you give them credit for that, instead of totally JUDGING them on what they did. It sounds like you guys are the ones who sound selfish not them. Yes their are so many things that are wrong in this world, you cant just fix this world with MONEY it takes dedication and the human soul to try and fix as much as we can but the thing is that WE ARE NOT SUPERMAN. And their is always going to be problems in this world because we all have different opinions on what is RIGHT and what is WRONG.
.
Reply
Tuesday 10 March
By Ricardo
You are completely hypocritical in this situation. If money doesn't solve anything then what are they solving by cloning this animal? You can't escape death. They are saying we don't care about the implications of cloning an animal is we just don't want to lose our companion. So if I care about my kids or my family as much and I have the money to clone them because I don't want to loose them what is that saying? Ill answer that for you. That means I am saying I have the MONEY to do whatever I want with out regard for ETHICS, MORALITY, or FLAT OUT CONSIDERATION FOR YOUR CONSEQUENCES. In a world that is lacking the resources to provide for the poorest animal or human why clone? In a world whose population is sky rocketing to such an exhorbitant amount that it is effecting the ecology of all speices that has taken 4 billion years (or 10,000 depending on your beliefs) you are defending the selfishness of those who choose to put money before people and animals? Give US a break. Stop thinking about yourself and think of the bigger picture. Think about the people who are affected by our countries greedy behavior despite them ever being involved in causing all this pollution and depletion of natural resources.