Dog Cloned

California: Genetically produced dog signals new frontier for family animals 21.dec.08 Marin Independent Journal Jim Staast With one ear flopped forward and her tongue dangling in anticipation of another item to fetch, Mira seemed like any other playful pup scampering around Eastwood Park in Tamalpais Valley. But proud owner Lou Hawthorne of Mill Valley said Mira - the world's first cloned pet dog - signals a new horizon in genetics. The border collie/husky just turned 1 year old. "I'm delighted we're here at this milestone," said Hawthorne, who spent a decade trying to clone his family's dog that died in 2002. "During the process of creating her, it was a goal. But once I had Mira in my arms she was an entity with feelings. She's real." "We have four near-Missys," he quipped. Their genetic makeup was confirmed to be Missy's exact copy by the University of California at Davis veterinary genetics lab. Read more.