9/11 hero cloned

KUSA - A four-legged hero who found the last human survivor of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center is being honored in a very unusual way. He's being cloned.

A German shepherd named Trakr and his partner, then police officer James Symington, were one of the first K9 search and rescue teams to arrive at Ground Zero after the attack. Braving horrific conditions, the pair helped to sift through debris, looking for survivors.

Even before 9/11, Trakr had earned quite a reputation as a hero. He was credited with hundreds of arrests and recovered more than $1 million in stolen goods. Following his work at Ground Zero, however he was presented with the "Extraordinary Service to Humanity Award by Dr. Jane Goodall, the United Nation's Messenger of Peace and was featured in books and magazines dedicated to 9/11 heroes.

While Trakr died a few years ago of old age, Symington saw an opportunity for his legacy to continue. He entered Trackr into a contest organized by biotechnology company BioArt, which was looking for the world's most "clone worthy dog."

Symington's essay won and BioArts began the work of cloning the hero, by locating some of Trakr's DNA and then merging it with the microscopic egg of a dog.

"Once we've got Trakr's DNA inside the egg, we electro-chemically activate it. It begins to divide like a normal embryo," explained Lou Hawthorne, the president and CEO of BioArts.

The egg was placed in a surrogate dog, which carried five puppies to term. Last week, the puppies were introduced to Symington, who says they look just like Trakr.

"Physically they look like identical versions of Trakr and their personality traits; I already see a lot of similarities. They have the same confidence. They have the same intrigue. They are definitely quite intuitive. They're alert and aware," Symington said.

The cloning process usually costs an average of $144,000, but because of the contest Symington won't have to pay a cent.

"It's an incredible feeling and it's the greatest gift I've ever received. Trakr's legacy lives on in these five beautiful puppies," Symington said.

He hopes that they'll follow in Trakr's paw prints.

"If these little puppies have the same attributes as Trakr did than I plan to put them into search and rescue and they can help people, just like Trakr did," he added.

BioArts holds an exclusive worldwide license for the cloning of dogs, cats and endangered species. Hawthorne admits that because of their work in cloning and embryonic stem cell research, he and the company have received a lot of feedback from critics.

"I focus on what is ethically good in the specifics. I think to create multiple copies of Trakr, even if we are using advanced reproductive technology is for the benefit of the planet," Hawthorne said. "More copies of Trakr are a good thing."

Hawthorne says the company doesn't have plans for another cloning contest, but won't rule it out.