WTNH News Channel 8 / News / 1999

	New company is freezing pet DNA for the future, for a price FARMINGTON, Conn. (AP) _ Genetic scientists have cloned sheep and cattle. Now a couple of Connecticut entrepreneurs are cashing in on pet owners' hopes for carbon-based copies of Rover and Fluffy. Dr. Heather J. Bessoff and Ron D. Gillespie are collecting samples of DNA from beloved pets, living or recently deceased, in preparation for the day when cloning becomes commonplace. For an initial fee of about $1,000 and a $100-a-year storage charge, PerPETuate Inc. will safeguard the frozen DNA in its Newington lab until the animal can be cloned. So far, Bessoff and Gillespie say they have signed up a half-dozen customers. Wisconsin residents Martha and Dennis Westerfield are among PerPETuate's first customers. The Westerfields lost Lacy, their much-loved Maltese, after spending thousands of dollars on unsuccessful cancer treatments. A vial containing Lacy's DNA now is on file at PerPETuate's lab. Martha Westerfield says the company has given her hope that she may once again see little Lacy wag her tail. "It's a comforting feeling to know that maybe someday we can have her back," she told The Hartford Courant. Through cloning, an animal's appearance is essentially duplicated. Scientists say cloned animals would also probably share many of the original pet's personality characteristics. Two years ago, Scottish scientists cloned a sheep named Dolly. Since then, scientists have made swift progress, successfully cloning mice and even cattle. Japanese scientists announced in January they had cloned eight calves from the cells of a single adult cow. This month, two calves in northern Japan were cloned from cells found in cow's milk. At Texas A&M University, researchers reportedly are trying to clone a dog. "(Animals) are not commodities to be manufactured like tomatoes or grapefruit," said Lisa Lange, a spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Lange suggested that anyone thinking about cloning their pet consider adopting one of the millions of homeless animals euthanized every year. Meanwhile, PerPETuate has begun storing tissue samples, often a small patch of skin. The company uses biotechnology to prepare the DNA and then transfers it to a vat of liquid nitrogen. As a safeguard, two samples are stored in separate containers, neither of which relies on outside power sources. PerPETuate tells customers there are no guarantees, and warns them that failure to pay the company's annual storage fee results in the DNA sample being disposed of or returned. Bessoff and Gillespie, who incorporated last fall, first worked together for an animal genetics company in Wisconsin. Both left last year and started PerPETuate. Gillespie is a consultant from Kansas with a background in agricultural economics. Bessoff is a licensed practicing veterinarian from Connecticut. The company's headquarters currently are in the basement of Bessoff's home in Farmington. But Bessoff and Gillespie plan to take their service nationwide. In addition to family pets, the company will also take DNA from cows, horses and other animals. "There could be people who don't agree with what we're doing. We understand that," Bessoff said. "But we feel there are so many benefits." Today's News Page. WTNH Home Page. ©1999 WTNH/WTNH-DT A LIN station.

New company is freezing pet DNA for the future, for a price
FARMINGTON, Conn. (AP) _ Genetic scientists have cloned sheep and cattle. Now a couple of Connecticut entrepreneurs are cashing in on pet owners' hopes for carbon-based copies of Rover and Fluffy.

Dr. Heather J. Bessoff and Ron D. Gillespie are collecting samples of DNA from beloved pets, living or recently deceased, in preparation for the day when cloning becomes commonplace.

For an initial fee of about $1,000 and a $100-a-year storage charge, PerPETuate Inc. will safeguard the frozen DNA in its Newington lab until the animal can be cloned.

So far, Bessoff and Gillespie say they have signed up a half-dozen customers.

Wisconsin residents Martha and Dennis Westerfield are among PerPETuate's first customers. The Westerfields lost Lacy, their much-loved Maltese, after spending thousands of dollars on unsuccessful cancer treatments. A vial containing Lacy's DNA now is on file at PerPETuate's lab.

Martha Westerfield says the company has given her hope that she may once again see little Lacy wag her tail.

"It's a comforting feeling to know that maybe someday we can have her back," she told The Hartford Courant.

Through cloning, an animal's appearance is essentially duplicated. Scientists say cloned animals would also probably share many of the original pet's personality characteristics.

Two years ago, Scottish scientists cloned a sheep named Dolly. Since then, scientists have made swift progress, successfully cloning mice and even cattle.

Japanese scientists announced in January they had cloned eight calves from the cells of a single adult cow. This month, two calves in northern Japan were cloned from cells found in cow's milk.

At Texas A&M University, researchers reportedly are trying to clone a dog.

"(Animals) are not commodities to be manufactured like tomatoes or grapefruit," said Lisa Lange, a spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Lange suggested that anyone thinking about cloning their pet consider adopting one of the millions of homeless animals euthanized every year.

Meanwhile, PerPETuate has begun storing tissue samples, often a small patch of skin. The company uses biotechnology to prepare the DNA and then transfers it to a vat of liquid nitrogen. As a safeguard, two samples are stored in separate containers, neither of which relies on outside power sources.

PerPETuate tells customers there are no guarantees, and warns them that failure to pay the company's annual storage fee results in the DNA sample being disposed of or returned.

Bessoff and Gillespie, who incorporated last fall, first worked together for an animal genetics company in Wisconsin. Both left last year and started PerPETuate.

Gillespie is a consultant from Kansas with a background in agricultural economics. Bessoff is a licensed practicing veterinarian from Connecticut.

The company's headquarters currently are in the basement of Bessoff's home in Farmington. But Bessoff and Gillespie plan to take their service nationwide. In addition to family pets, the company will also take DNA from cows, horses and other animals.

"There could be people who don't agree with what we're doing. We understand that," Bessoff said. "But we feel there are so many benefits."

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