This week, I read about a company that is cloning dogs. In a project called Best Friends Again, BioArts International will clone five dogs to the highest bidders in a day of online auctions next month. "Bidding will start at $100,000 for those who want their beloved animals to live on after death or are seeking a physically identical younger 'twin' for their favourite pet," says the article.Aside from all the various ethical and biological issues of cloning, I had to ask myself: Would I want to clone Riley and Cody?
After some thought, my answer is: "I don't think so." I adore both, but I love the quirks and nuances of their personalities that make them unique and different from each other. If I had a Riley clone made to order, for example, I might never have chosen to adopt and get to know the whacky Cody.
Plus, there is no guarantee that one would end up with exactly the same animal. I listened to a program on NPR (This American Life, maybe?) not too long ago where someone had a pet bull (yes, that's bull, as in cattle, i.e., male version of cow) named Chance. This was an animal the size of my VW who roamed through the house at will. A gentle giant. They loved him so much that they had him cloned, and named the resulting animal "Second Chance." I recall that while Second Chance had all the physical and initially some of the behavioral characteristics of Chance, he did not in fact retain Chance's docile personality. This resulted in the owner ending up in the hospital near death numerous times--but still determined to give Second Chance . . . another chance.
So, I think I'll give cloning a pass, save $100,000+, and continue to enjoy the products of gene pooling gone wild! Viva la difference!
I'm all for dogs gone wild! I'm the human companion to a dog who is a rescue- the result of some shenanigans going on at the ranch when boss hog wasn't looking. My dog is fun, and weird, and different - and those are the reasons why I love him so!
ReplyDeleteI am extremely against pet cloning on so many levels! There are endless numbers of dogs out there that need loving homes, and many are being euthanized because there just aren't enough people willing to adopt them.
My pets will only ever come from the rescue shelters- previously this excluded breeders, but now I have to worry about cloners too? Why can't we appreciate a new pet when it comes along instead of trying to reproduce the same one over and over again. After all, isn't variety the spice of life
Absolutely! I agree!
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