I was doing some research for the post I wrote today for Eco Child’s Play (about the benefits of pet ownership for children) and I came across this story:
Holy mackerel, I thought. Just last week they were giving dogs away at the local animal shelter (ahem. They were waiving the adoption fee for the first 100 people).
So I jump over to the website of the Humane Society of the United States, where I learn that up to 8 million pets reside in animal shelters each year, a number I suspect we will see increase in the days ahead.
Lo and behold, the HSUS has an official statement on the cloning of pets:
Cloning is an imperfect science and potentially dangerous for the animals involved, including the clone. Many animals cloned thus far have had a wide range of medical complications. Whether a cloned companion animal can lead a healthy and full life remains unknown. In addition, surrogate mothers who bear the cloned embryos until delivery may have to endure surgical procedures due to complications from pregnancy.
For those looking to replace a lost pet, cloning will not create an animal identical to the one who is gone; cloning cannot replicate an animal’s uniqueness. Cloning can only replicate the pet’s genetics, which influence but do not determine his physical attributes or personality. In fact, a pet’s personality, the specific trait that most owners would like to preserve and the attribute that most endears a companion animal to his family, is the trait least likely to be replicated by cloning. In addition, there is no guarantee the cloned companion animal will even physically resemble the original pet.
The cloned dog in question was a yellow Lab named Lancelot (the clone is named Lancelot Encore). Now, I’m not saying that each dog doesn’t have a distinct personality or anything, but I bet there are tons of yellow labs in animal shelters. And every Lab I’ve ever met has been pretty darn nice.
This just seems so ridiculous, so irresponsible… They already own nine other dogs.
Look, it’s been seven months- eight, maybe- since poor old Zooey died, and we’ve gone back and forth about a “new to us” dog. And yes, part of the reason is because no dog will be the wise old man that Zoo was. But if someone offered to clone him for us? Even if it was free of charge, that would be a no-go.
It’s just not right.
P.S. That should read “couple spends $155,000″, shouldn’t it? Don’t they have editors over there at msnbc?
I am with you 100%. On everything.
So many wonderful animals deserving homes.
And if it were "Couple spend…", then it should be "Couple clone…".
Maybe they could spends some $$$ and clones an editor. 🙂
Hi Leslie- the more I think about it, the more angry I get.
About how many animals could have been adopted out, or spayed and neutered, for $155K; and about how paid editors can't manage simple noun/verb agreement!