The pain of losing a beloved pet is beyond words can say. A research laboratory in South Korea claims that they can bring your pooch back to life, in the form of a clone.
The cloning industry seems to be growing faster now than ever before. One can surely think of many other things to do with a price tag of R1,8 million to clone a dog. This is not the case for some high-income earners with a broken heart.
These scientists in Seoul, South Korea, offer a unique pet cloning service for a very high price.
In the beginning
Cloning animals started with the aim reincarnate animals that have gone into extinction, but that theory is still in research, they have since managed to clone Dolly, the sheep. People were very sceptical about this, because to most of us, a sheep is a sheep. They had the technology, and this opened the door for the next phase in cloning: other mammals.
The Sooam Biotechnology Institute Foundation, established on 1 July 2006, is where all the science is taking place. Their website sells the concept as bringing back loved ones yet what they do in the laboratory remains questionable.
What is the guarantee for the price that you pay?
The laboratory guarantees that the animal will look identical to the one that you have cloned it from, but they can not vouch for the same when it comes to the personality.
What lies behind the smokescreen of Dog Cloning?
This fairy tale has an eery dark side to it, and it is imperative to understand what goes on behind the scenes too.
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Dog, Inc.: The Uncanny Inside Story of Cloning Man's Best Friend |
What can go wrong after the puppies are born?
The biggest problem is that many puppies are born with birth defects. A dog usually delivers more than one puppy, and if the client does not want more than one clone, what will happen to the rest of the dogs? Sadly most of these ultra-rich animal lovers only get a genetic twin, and nothing more.
Are you willing to place your own emotional needs ahead of the welfare of these genetically modified animals? "With pet obsession reaching new heights, are we ready to cross the boundary of controlling science, in the name of science, in the name of love, in the name of merchandising - or is this a combination of all three?" - Woestendiek.
As we near the end of this story, we would like to leave you with the following thought to ponder on: Every living being in the world today has a purpose, once that purpose is over, the next one will come our way. Prolonging a purpose (i.e., cloning your dog), will only extend the lessons that we need to learn with the next unique soul that is destined to come our way.
Would you do it (again)?
If anything, Snuppy's clone donor's owner commented on the question that if he'd allow his dog Tai to be cloned - if given the original choice again - he said "I would say no, actually. One is enough. Death is a natural thing. I would rather just keep the memory."
