The Talk2 List Copy-cat cloning firm turns tail

[Vanja Sudar]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A California company set up to clone beloved pets has gone out of business after cloning just two cats.   A spokesman for Genetic Savings & Clone on Thursday said the Sausalito, California-based company had closed and its tissue bank was being sold to livestock cloning firm ViaGen Inc., based in Austin, Texas.   The company had cloned just two cats, in 2004, but offered to do more at prices of up to $50,000.   The Humane Society of the United States, which campaigned against the business from the start, celebrated the news.   "It's no surprise the demand for cloned pets is basically nonexistent, and we're very pleased that Genetic Savings & Clone's attempt to run a cloning pet store was a spectacular flop," Wayne Pacelle, Humane Society president, said in a statement.   "Rather than spending millions of dollars on developing a technology with no redeeming social purpose, those resources could be aimed at reducing pet overpopulation, including pet adoption outreach efforts and spay/neuter education," Pacelle said.   Calls to Genetic Savings & Clone's CEO, Lou Hawthorne, were not answered and the company's office line was disconnected.   In 2005, California lawmakers rejected a proposal aimed at the company that would have banned sales of cloned pets.   (C) Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved. Vanja http://www.sudar.co.uk MSN messenger: [EMAIL PROTECTED] AIM: vanja121 Skype: vanja121