Heroic 9/11 Search And Rescue Dog Cloned (Wizbang Pop!)

Trakr, a German Sheppard rescue dog from Nova Scotia, helped rescue victims at Ground Zero eight years ago. The dog actually pulled the last remaining survivor from the rubble itself, and his owner, James Symington, believes that was merely one example of Trakr's abilities.

"His heroic work at Ground Zero was just a culmination of his amazing career," Symington said.

But in 2008, as Trakr aged, he became ravaged by multiple diseases. Symington then saw an advertisement for a contest sponspored by BioArts and decided to submit Trakr's story to the company. The contest's prize: cloning one lucky dog free of charge to its owner.

CEO Louis Hawthorne believes Trakr's past accomplishments made him the winner.

"We expected that the winner would be an exceptional pet," Hawthorne said. "Maybe he would have rescued Timmy from a well. But we didn't think it would be anything of the historical significance that Trakr played. That blew us away."

"Once in a lifetime, a dog comes along that not only captures the hearts of all he touches but also plays a pivotal role in history," began Symington's essay about Trakr, who died at age 16 in April. In the years before his death, the dog had lost the use of his rear legs due to a degenerative neurological disorder that some experts believe was related to exposure to toxic smoke at Ground Zero.

Trakr's story "blew us away," BioArts CEO Lou Hawthorne said of the contest's selection process. "His many remarkable capabilities were proven beyond all doubt in our nation's darkest hour -- and we view the work of cloning him as a great honor." A few days ago, Symington was presented with five cloned mini-Trakrs.