Cloning pets is “normal” abroad

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?

Related articles

Why do cats wag their tails?

Have you ever watched your cat and asked yourself what it might be thinking? It sometimes seems that these furry friends enjoy situations in which you don’t know if they love your or want to claw your eyes out. They only sit and watch you from a...

Summer tip! Take your dog for fishing

They say there aren’t many activities as relaxing as fishing. And it’s no longer true that fishing is only for men. When my friend told me she takes her dog for fishing, I was really surprised. And I immediately had to question her about how it...

3 reasons why (not) to cut your dog during summer

Living with dogs is such a natural thing for us dog lovers that we sometimes treat them more like people. We love them, we nurture them but we may sometimes care a bit too much and unintentionally harm our furry friends. Such cases include wrong fur...

Ricochet: Surfing dog hero

Some animals are simply talented for water sports. Already as a puppy, Ricochet grabbed people’s attention for her confidence she jumped into sea waves with. Later on, she became a dog hero helping disabled and a role model for many enthusiasts who...

A dog and a rodent under one roof

Are you considering getting a rodent as your new pet but you are afraid it won’t be doing good with your dog under one roof? Don’t be afraid, dogs and rodents can do great together. It is important to teach your dog from an early age that other animals...