Dog Blog

I have been reading about the scientific breakthroughs in cloning with specific attention to discussions about having your dog cloned. This topic has been further emphasized by a company called BioArts International that is offering a Best Friends program aimed at cloning your beloved dog. It is a limited program according to the company, which makes the whole idea even more strange with the way they describe the ordering process as if it is a purchase of some form of merchandise. To quote:

"The cloning process usually takes 3-6 months after receipt of DNA sample but up to one year may be required to produce your cloned puppy in certain cases. You will have 30 days after agreeing to the service agreement to submit a tissue sample to us which will begin the process.

If your dog is alive, we will send you a VetKit, which you will need to take to your own veterinarian in order to collect a sample of your dog’s DNA through a humane procedure."

They even include Biopsy Instructions.

A Californian woman sold her house to pay for the cloning of her special dog that passed away. She paid a company in Korea $150,000 for the process and called it a miracle stating that "she hopes one day that everyone can afford a cloned dog." Am I the only one that finds that statement hard to get used to?

OK so what do I think?....well I have to admit I have watched movies such as The 6th Day with Arnold Schwarzenegger where pet cloning actually did produce an exact match, personality included and I thought i'd never have to be without my best friends if this was possible. And here we are with the possibility of cloning yet I am feeling more weirded out than sentimental. Maybe it is because you don't get to clone the personality, but if that were possible would I go for it? Maybe...I recently lost my best friend Churchill, my 12 year old French Bulldog and I still cry on a regular basis from missing him and if someone said that I could have him back I'd jump at it.

Maybe this is a strange concept because its new? I'm not sure that's it either...or perhaps it is because it feels more like an experiment than a reality.

Bottom line - I have such mixed feelings on this subject. I may have to write about it some more and discuss it with other dog owners to really gather my thoughts but I wanted to throw the question out there - Would you clone your dog?