astro
April 27, 2008, 1:11am
#1
South Korea to use cloned dogs to sniff for drugs and explosives
The seven new cloned male dogs are all healthy, though one was sent to a university laboratory a few days ago for a minor foot injury it received during training, according to training center head Lim Jae-ryoung. For now, the dogs all share the same name: “Toppy” — a combination of the words “tomorrow” and “puppy.” They have a superior nature. They are active and excel in accepting the training," said Kim Nak-seung, a trainer at the Customs Service-affiliated dog training center.
In February, all seven dogs passed a behavior test aimed at finding whether they are genetically qualified to work as sniffing dogs. Only 10 percent to 15 percent of naturally born dogs typically pass the test. If the cloned dogs succeed in other tests for physical strength, concentration and sniffing ability, they will be put to work by July next year at airports and harbors across South Korea, according to the training center.
The agency says the cloned dogs could also save money.“We came up with the idea of dog cloning after thinking about how we can possess a superior breed at a cheaper cost,” said agency head Hur Yong-suk. Normally, only about three out every 10 naturally born dogs it trains — at a cost of about $40,140 each — ends up qualifying for the job. Lee of Seoul National University said it cost approximately $100,000 to $150,000 to clone each of the seven golden Labrador retrievers. He said the seven are the world’s first cloned drug-sniffing dogs.
Where’s the world-wide PA system? I want the one I can get on to announce to the whole goddamn world that there is no such thing as a golden laborador . It’s yellow lab , or golden retriever . Labs come in yellow, chocolate, and black. Not golden.
Color
I feel better now.