Pass Christian man clones service dog to keep its legacy alive

PASS CHRISTIAN, MS (WLOX) - Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, Davis Hawn says his service dog Booster has helped him out of a dark place in life.

"Booster saved my life once. He changed my life," Hawn said. "My personality changed to match his. I was an introvert. Now, I'm an extrovert."

However, Booster is fighting a losing battle with a second bout of cancer.

"I've had people tell me the only time that they've seen their father cry is the day they put the family dog down," Hawn said through tears. "I'm going to go through that, and I don't know how I'm going to handle it."

However, Hawn now has backup help. Boosted and Busted, both nine months old, are Booster's clones.

"By cloning you get the raw ingredients of the cake," Hawn said. "It's up to you to mix it properly to come up with the final product. I like to say that I celebrate God's creativity and diversity; I'm simply photocopying God's creation."

The cloning was done in South Korea by Dr. Hwang Woo-suk and wasn't cheap. While he endured criticism for his actions, Hawn says it was worth every effort and every penny.

The Pass Christian man and his dog Booster have traveled around the world advocating for service dogs by helping other people.

Booster once met a small child who had more in common with the K9 than he expected.

"He ran to his mom and said, 'Mama, mama! Booster lost an eye to cancer, just like me!' And he was so happy. What price to you put on that," noted Hawn.

He says clones have nearly every quality of their father, and what seems to be a previous life experience.

"It's like I'm starting with a 1-year-old Booster, instead of a puppy Booster. It's scary. It's almost like 'Twilight Zone,'" added Hawn.

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