LANCELOT ENCORE One of the more famous cases of pet cloning involves Edgar and Nina Otto and their dog, Lancelot. In 2009, clone puppy Lancelot Encore was born in a South Korean lab after the Ottos won an auction to have their pet cloned by BioArts, a Californian biotech firm. And their winning bid? $155,000. They’ve come under fire for Lancelot Encore’s price tag, but they say they’d happily make the decision again. Today, their pup thrives and has even fathered several offspring of his own, which the Ottos sell through their website. (Photo via Labraclone)
Pet cloning is a pretty controversial practice, requiring $50,000 – $150,000, dozens of dogs living in questionable laboratory care, and—some say—the naiveté of heartbroken pet owners missing their loved ones. But it’s an amazing feat of science and, hey, isn’t it impressive that there have been enough pet clones that we can even have a “best of” list? Plenty have chosen to to fork over the funds and gotten little facsimiles of their faithful companions; here are some of our favorites.
