Their Pet Project: Storing Animal DNA

Two entrepreneurs are charging pet owners to store their beloved animals’ DNA in anticipation of the day when science can clone Fido or Fluffy. For $1,000 per pet--plus a $100 annual storage fee--Heather J. Bessoff and Ron D. Gillespie will take a genetic sample from a living or dead animal and keep it frozen at their lab in Farmington, Conn. Their company, PerPETuate Inc., has signed up six customers since it began in October. A spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals urged people instead to adopt homeless animals who are often put to death.