BioArts International is thrilled to announce the winner of the Golden Clone Giveaway - James Symington and his dog, Trakr!  View the video here.

“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.”

So begins the winning essay submitted by James Symington to the BioArts Golden
Clone Giveaway contest.

Symington, a former police officer who now lives in Los Angeles, and his German Shepherd, Trakr, were among the first search & rescue teams to arrive at Ground Zero following 9/11. Together they braved horrific conditions while searching for both living and dead, ultimately locating the last human survivor under approximately 30 feet of unstable debris.

One of our judges had this to say, "Trakr is a true American hero with international origins. While many dogs are loyal, driven to please and succeed, trusting and clever, Trakr contributed to the betterment of society in many ways. As a police dog, he recovered over $1M in stolen goods and aided in hundreds of arrests. On his off hours, he gladly cheered up hospitalized children; this speaks to his kind and gentle nature. Finally, as a search and rescue dog, he found the last survivor at Ground Zero post 9/11. The world will surely be served if this dog, in some form, can live on through the science of cloning."

Trakr's story was selected from hundreds of entrants in our Golden Clone Giveaway contest. Each and every story was touching, and Trakr's was truly amazing.

You can read the full story here.

Our Judges

Liam Lynch is a writer, director, musician in the television and film industry. Lynch cloned his cat, Frankie Forcefield in 2006. Frankie's clone Finnegan Forcefield lives with Lynch and his three other cats in Los Angeles, CA. For more info on Liam Lynchplease visit www.liamlynch.net.

Joanne Greene is a writer/producer living north of San Francisco. As host of the "Good Dog" podcast (free subscripton available at www.gooddogpodcast.com), Joanne shares advice and inspiration with dog lovers worldwide through entertaining and informative interviews. Among other podcasts, she hosts "Guide Dog", which explores the many facets of breeding, raising, and training guide dogs for the blind.

Jessica Harrison holds a degree in Biomedical Science from Texas A&M University. In 1998, Jessica initiated an adoption program to place University research animals in forever homes, a first for the research community. After three years of working for a gene banking company in assisted reproduction research, Jessica began providing professional canine services to the Austin community. Romp N’ Run Ranch is approaching its 4th year of offering first-rate boarding, daycare, grooming, and training in Round Rock. Jessica is an active member of The Delta Society, visiting The Children's Hospital of Austin with her Aussie, Hunter. She is a Licensed Evaluator for The Delta Society, certifying new therapy teams several times throughout the year. You can catch Jessica and her beagles and shepherds in the conformation and agility rings throughout the US.