Cloned dog Lancelot Encore a new dad
July 24, 2012|By Johnny Diaz, Sun Sentinel
The saga of Sir Lancelot lives on.

That's the golden Labrador retriever that Edgar and Nina Otto cloned after their beloved dog died four years ago from cancer.

"We are so tickled pink that they were born on the Fourth of July and that she had the litter naturally,'' Nina Otto said of Scarlett, the West Palm Beach female Lab that was surgically inseminated with Encore's sperm.

The Ottos created a website -- labraclone.com, "future pups from the past" -- to educate others about their cloning journey and to sell seven of the half-cloned doggies, some of which are cream-hued like their father while the others are fox-red, like their mother.

"I am keeping one and we are hoping to find good homes for all the other puppies,'' said Otto, who would not disclose the dogs' selling prices.

Traditionally, the owner of the female dog, known as the bitch, pays a stud fee to breed her.

"We did it a little differently,'' said Otto, who paid "a few thousand dollars" to have Lancelot bred with Scarlett, a registered purebred female Lab owned by Leigh Green, a Lab breeder in West Palm Beach.

"We needed a female and there were a lot of people that might not have wanted to use a dog that might not have had a pedigree at the time," she said, noting that Lancelot Encore isn't registered by the American Kennel Club because of his cloned background. But she said she found another kennel club that has agreed to register Encore and his offspring as Labs.

The names of the five females and three males reflect their patriotic birthday: Glory, Liberty, Star, Allegiance, America, Patriot, Independence and Victory. The pups are staying put with their mom until they are big enough to adopt.

"She is a fantastic mother,'' said Green of Scarlett. "She loves the babies. She wants to take care of them. She will nurse them until the day they go home."

The Ottos have become a media sensation this year. In May, they appeared on a TLC documentary, "I Cloned My Pet," in which they discussed the benefits of pet cloning. Last month they were also featured in the HBO documentary film "One Nation Under Dog: Stories of Fear, Loss and Betrayal"

Because of their strong bond with Sir Lancelot, whom they described as "a very human dog," they had his DNA cryogenically frozen years before his death. Six months after, they learned of a five-day cloning auction by a California biotech company. The Ottos joined the auction and won with their $155,000 bid.

Lancelot Encore was born from a surrogate dog in South Korea, where a research firm conducted the cloning procedure. That dog, whom they affectionately nicknamed "Lancey," made the couple the first family in Florida and one of the first 15 in the United States with a cloned dog.

The Ottos say the cloned dog is truly a double of his predecessor, exhibiting the same movements and behaviors such as crossing its paw when it sits down. The dog was also immediately accepted by the couple's other seven dogs, which include two other Labs, three Cavailer King Charles Spaniels, a Bichon Frise and a Teacup Yorkie.

The Ottos plan to keep only one pup because "I don't want to flood my house with dogs,'' said Otto. "We really wanted our dog back and now we have his babies. Another generation of Lanceys. If any of them crosses their paws, I will be thrilled out of my mind."

Well, interestingly enough I know who is the owner/breeder of the female.........this is not their first scandal and they are obviously continuing on their path of not bettering their program, just making money and waves. Feel sorry for the owners of the male........got snookered. Anyone reputable would have helped them, not encouraged circumventing AKC rules and regulations. Barnum had it right, sucker born every minute.............such CRAP!

Why does it really matter what you think of this and the breeder who allowed their bitch to be bred? The people are happy, they got what they wanted. They obviously have the money to do it, so why does it even matter what you or I think?

I know if I was able to do this, I would be thrilled too. Sometimes there's more to life than just breeding to produce a show dog. Most of the dogs are going to pet homes anyway so why not get your dog back? Sounds like the dogs are being well-cared for and will go to good homes. Good for them.

The byb's mantra- I love my dog so I want it to have puppies just like it- taken to extreme. I wonder if any clearances were done on either parent?

Well I show and breed and I love my dogs too. They may not all be show winners, but I have my favorites and love their temperaments so yes I will breed them if I want to. I'd hope that all breeders who breed love their dogs too. I do basic clearances but don't go to a all the hoops that other breeders go through. Does that make me bad? What gives you the right to judge these people? They are happy, they have the money to do it, be happy for them or leave them alone.

The Breeder has never been in a scandal in her life, she is my daughter. Both parents have clearances done, including EIC and PRA. Scarlett is Penn hip'd. The Otto's are ecstatic, as are their friends who have purchased pups. This is a private treaty made public .

Who cares!!! Get off your high horse people. If the world was full of show breeders dogs and their standards etc. Guess there wouldn't be anything for you to complain about. I do now know where the term Bitch came from! Get over it people

LOL, all I keep thinking is that if I had $155,000, I would pay off my student loan, and put a down payment on a house. Not clone my dog. :) Sorry Fido!

I thought I would stop by and clarify some discrepancies.

How scandalous am i? I think you have to be rather bored to say scandal describes any part of my life. I am a Evangelical Christian, homeschooling, stay at home mother of 5 who teaches about natural birth, breastfeeding and cloth diapering to new parents. I began breeding Labradors over 20 years ago with my mother, under the tutelage of some of the best breeders in the world. I showed for a few years, running around very pregnant or with small children in tow then at the shows sharing about RAW feeding. I now breed 1-2 litters a year, in my home for families wanting a healthy loving baby to share the next decade with.

The Ottos love for their dog Lancey created a desire to keep him as long as they could. Their financial security allowed them to do so through cloning. As the cloning was a huge success, the Ottos decided that keeping the line of Lancey going may be a more effective means to keep his line alive and they began the search for a breeder. The Ottos found me through one of our puppy parents referral.

Here is where it gets dicey. Lancelot Encore was the FIRST commercially cloned dog in the world. Breeding him to a non cloned dog would also be a FIRST. Cloned to clone has been done in laboratories and commercially. But, from all of our research, this was a first and the results were anything but certain. This was a private business decision, not a secret. The point was not to better the Labrador breed, to break ground in science or to flood the market with glow in the dark pups. The ENTIRE goal was to attempt to provide the Ottos with a puppy that carried the genes of their beloved Lancey.

No longer about the cloning, this was an insemination for one puppy parent.

As a breeder, this is clearly a risk. Thankfully, it worked beautifully. We were given 8 perfect pups, born naturally, growing beautifully, with everything in place as we would want.

Most of the pups were already spoken for by friends of the Otttos. However, we do have a few still available. Although the sire and dam have had all of their clearances done, this is NOT a typical breeding. As such, everyday puppy parents must be thoroughly educated about the exceptionalities that could exist from a cloned dog. When it is not a good match, we will be referring them out to our breeders and friends around the world in the locations nearest to the prospective puppy parents.

Thanks Leigh for explaining. It's all very interesting!

I haven't heard much about cloning since Dolly the sheep was cloned in England, and she unfortunately didn't live very long.

I wonder how long cloned labradors live?

Of course I can understand the Otto's wanting to keep their beloved Lancelot's line going.... I'm sure that anyone who has ever truly loved a dog would wish to do the same.

"Puppy parents"? I think I am going to puke.

OMG! if anyone falls for this load of you know what, it is truly hopeless. The newspaper shared that the owners of the cloned male gave the bitch owner " a few thousand dollars" and have a website marketing the pups for sale.....not to mention the AKC denied registry to the male, so the bitch and dog owners purposely sought out an alternative registry to be able to market "purebred Labradors". If the bitch owner and her mother belong to any breed clubs, I think that there is a code of ethics......the "best breeders in the world", your mentors, I am sure are proud of your purely altruistic meaning.

To the person who wrote like mother/daughter = Do you realize what you are saying?? About this dog stolen from the owner?? I am the owner of this dog .. the person who brought this all up is convicted by a judge for MURDERTREATNING and stalking etc .. The dog never belonged to the person who made the story up . she even mentionned this several times on her homepage befor shewas convicted etc! this person in fact was banned by her breedclub for USING semen/selling semen, breeding litters WITHOUT my signature ,my approval!!.. and when that all came out .. etc . i had to take a lawyer, call the police . ended up with poissoined dog etc , a dead horse.. So stop putting lies again in this world THE DOG IS/WAS and WILL always be MY DOG!! If any further info, proof of conviction, copy of pedigree is needed to CONVINCE YOU then just ask me willing to send it over ! After two years of being stalked by the person who had put up this story, two years of being afraid for my dogs life, the life of my son, husband . and even family receiving horrible messages .confronted by this person a her friendswith calls/messages of racisme( my husband has a dark skin color .. )and we had to read/hear that WHITE was the color that is better and preferred! And after finaly after the conviction of this person and the trial .. hoping to find some rest for me & the dog .. YOU START again! STOP IT as .. i think spreading lies, haressement, racisme, murdertreats, stalking is a crime in your country too .. Just be happy when YOU never have to face this!! So please do stick to FACTS and not to "stories" made up ! I know some people LIVE off spreading stories .. gossip etc .. Next time someone telling lies again, then be so fair to put your name to the comment ! Just like I DO!

Oh well, it's business as usual in Orlando! Give me the MONEY honey!! And to think that they tout themselves as reputable, honest and credible breeders! Ha! Trailer trash backyard breeders is more like it, with no scrupples and a great line of bullcrap that they both think is credible. Oh well this time maybe their udders are in a ringer! Ask how many litters a year they breed and see how sad this is. ONE HELL OF A WAY TO FAME AND FORTUNE!

YOU NEED TO GET A LIFE!

as i read as "rule " for this forum" no disparaging remarks about other breeders and/or their dogs will be tolerated" i DO wander why some of you are allowed to write here!

It seems that someone struck a chord here!

ok ..enough bickering or the thread will be removed.

-Jill