Canine hero wins a chance at immortality

Poor old Trakr. Once hailed as a hero, the retired Halifax police dog can no longer use the hind legs that pushed him through the ruins of the World Trade Center as he sniffed for survivors. His hearing has faded and, at 15, his dog days seemed numbered – until science gave him a second chance at life.

A California genetics company has selected the German shepherd to be one of the world's first commercially cloned pets after his master – a former Canadian police officer now pursuing an acting career in Los Angeles – won an essay contest with a futuristic prize.

The company will ship Trakr's DNA sample to the lab of its South Korean partner this month, and Tracker's double should be nipping at his tail by the end of the year.