We love our dogs, our fur babies, and they love us. We take care of them, play with them, hug, and sometimes even kiss them. We take them for walks, for rides, they sleep with us – they’re family. One fateful day they’ll return to whence they came and we’ll be more than sad. We’ll be heart-broken.
But…what if they only partially left us? Would the pain be less? Probably not, but maybe not as bad. There’s a choice people are making that keeps their beloved pets around. And that is Cloning.
Cloning Dogs
Are you kidding me? Cloning your dog when there are thousands upon thousands of dogs that need loving, forever homes? And what about the moral standpoint, and possible repercussions. For instance, what if “they” eventually decide to clone humans?
Dog Cloning – At What Cost?
I read an article about a woman who couldn’t bear the thought of losing her 13-year-old toy poodle whose loyalty and sweet, gentle nature she adored. After he turned 10, she would often get emotional, then began crying daily just thinking of having to say goodbye. So, you guessed it, instead of $60 a month for anti-depressants, she had him cloned for a whopping $50,000.
How Does One Clone a Dog?
It starts with a couple of skin samples taken from the dog to be cloned. They’re put into an incubator so the cells will grow. After harvesting millions of cells, they’re kept frozen in liquid nitrogen.
A donor egg is taken from another dog and the nucleus is removed – none of the donor’s DNA is left. It’s replaced with, you know it, those cells stored in the liquid nitrogen.
A surrogate carries the embryo until birthed, then she looks after it, (or them), for 8 weeks. After that, you have your cloned dog. The woman in the article got 3 identical puppies that looked just like the original.
Clones Have Their Own Dog Personalities
Now, your cloned dog isn’t a replica of your original dog. They’re physically the same, but these dogs do have their own personalities. Basically, same body – different spirit.
I have seen dogs of the same breed with the same characteristics of each other, so much so you’d think they were twins. These dogs must have similar DNA – I’ll have to research that.
The woman who had her dog cloned did have a point of view that made a little sense. Someone, criticized her, like I previously did, because there are so many dogs out there that need homes. She has a rescue dog, so she’s good there. But, she concluded that it was like telling a mother she shouldn’t have her own child because there were so many out there who need parents.
I guess you could say the same about people who breed dogs. Why breed more when there are so many out there now that need homes?
I’m not taking sides here due to her comment, just looking at it from different perspectives. Only you can decide. You have to feel good about what you’re doing and feel it’s for the best, then do it. That’s what we humans do, for the most part.
Celebrity Who Had Her Dog Cloned
Barbara Streisand cloned her dog for the same reason, she couldn’t bear to lose her. Hers was an extremely rare breed, a curly haired Coton, and she wanted the same dog.
So, on her deathbed, they took DNA from her dog for cloning purposes, a little scrape to the leg. What a send-off for your beloved dog, huh?
She ended up with 2 identical puppies. And guess what! They had their own dog personalities. Their bodies were the same, but they had their own spirits.
Maybe Jurassic Park isn’t so far away after all.
Until next time, Carol
Photo: Sturtevant Elastic Tango MoMa (07) by Regan Vercruysee