The cloning of dogs or cats is slowly becoming a completely normal reality. For now, you can encounter it mostly in Asian countries. It’s the companies in South Korea that are most famous for their business plans focusing on the grieving dog and cat owners. Here, the people who have just lost their pet, can have its twin cloned and this way, they can have it by their side forever.
A number of organisations for animal protection around the whole world is against the cloning of pets. They say, that same as with the cloning of people, the cloning of animals is unnatural and unethical. The Koreans, but also, for example, Americans and the British, however, see this differently and the legislature makes it possible for the pet owners.
With respect to high costs, which climb all the way to several millions of crowns, buying a clone of a deceased dog or cat is unavailable to most customers. Quite naturally, this brings up the question whether it is “normal” and whether it’s not a mere fashion fad.
Despite the strong bond that bound me to my two already deceased dogs, I don’t dare to give a definite answer.
It’s precisely the strong connection between the owner and his pet that the companies offering this service use as an argument while referring to psychological and traumatological methods, saying that getting a clone is one of the ways how to deal with the loss of a beloved animal friend. Is this an emotional game?
Leaving aside the question of trauma from a painful loss, which no doubt the death of a dog, cat, or a rodent family member is, there is yet another dimension to the whole business around cloning. Experts criticise the cloning companies for unethical conduct bordering on cruelty to animals, because it requires an operation of three dogs: the DNA donor, the eggs donor and of the surrogate mother.
How did it all start? It was the Afghan Hound Snuppy who became famous as the first dog clone. He was born in 2005 and lived to be ten years old. In order to confirm this “spectacular miracle”, they had more puppies cloned from his cells – three survived. Another famous clone is the police dog Trakr. Also in his case, the scientist were successful.
Since then, hundreds of cloned mostly dogs of various breeds are running around the world. Experts point out that this business is rather starting to resemble large “factories for animals”.
This trend still hasn’t arrived to the Czech Republic also because of the demandingness on technological equipment of the laboratories. In this area, however, the Czech scientist Helena Fulková achieved fame, when she managed to clone a lab mouse.
In our family, we always lasted without a dog for the maximum of a year, then we welcomed a new member into the pack, who was always unique in some way and inimitable. Therefore, we’ve never considered getting a clone :). What do you think about cloning?
Sometimes, one dog is not enough and it is better to have a whole pack. Especially if you breed drafting (or also pulling) dogs. Of course, the more dogs you have, the more care and issues it means, but it also means there’s much more joy for the...
The modern world is not only rich in material things but also in the number of dog breeds. There are quite a lot of them, Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) recognizes 360 different breeds. And they are not only different from each other when...
There are many ways to learn a new thing. One of the most pleasant ones for both the dog and its owner is positive motivation. Thanks to it, a dog learns new tricks in a simple and pleasing way and it also helps to develop a mutual social relationship...
Pregnancy is a difficult time for a bitch in all aspects. The body nourishes more organisms and it needs to be reflected in her energy and nutrient intake. A breeder, racer and sport cynology contestant, Jitka Duffková, gives advice on how to make...
You might be interested in this dog sport but you have many questions before you can decide to start with it. Will my buddy enjoy it? Do I have sufficient physical abilities? When should we start, isn’t it too soon or too late? This article and advice...
A healthy mouth is a very important part of the complex vitality of a cat and we shouldn’t neglect taking care of it. There are many oral diseases our furry friends can suffer from. What can you do to keep your cat’s teeth clean?
Korat is a very rare breed that isn’t very common even in Thailand – the country of its origin. Thanks to its beautiful, soft, silver-tipped hair as well as its special nature, it’s unmistakable. This breed definitely deserves some attention.
Have you ever thought about how the composition of the gut microbiota of your dog companion influences its mood, metabolism or immune system in addition to its digestion? Do you know how bacteria work in guts and how to keep the good ones inside?
Letting furious dogs with only one task – to detain and put you down – bite you is definitely not for everyone. But is it really as horrifying as it may look from the outsider’s point of view? Jan Böhm answers our questions about what it takes to be...
Snakes and scorpions are said to get out on Saint George’s Day. It has been a while since then, so it’s no surprise that we can see a lizard or a snake when on a walk somewhere or in our gardens. They already left their underground shelters designed...
The German Boxer can truly be called a versatile dog. With no doubts, it can be a family dog, a watchdog or a rescuer. It is also good at sports. A long-term boxer breeder, Ing. Michaela Martinů, can confirm that.
Bikejöring doesn’t mean that a dog simply runs next to a bike. The dog pulls the bike when doing this sport, it is similar to dog sledding. A famous Slovak musher, Marcel Dučák, will tell us what equipment you need for it, what dogs it is good for,...
