By now everyone in the literate world has heard of cloning. Ever since Dolly the Sheep was cloned by Scottish scientists in 1996 (proving that mammals could be cloned ,something heretofore thought impossible) the cloning of pets became inevitable. Thus far, however, no dogs have been cloned (a few cats have been successfully cloned ).

A brief summary of cloning is probably in order at this point. Cloning is possible because every cell in the body of an animal contains the genetic blueprint for the entire animal. When an embryo is in its growth stages different genes are activated and deactivated in various cells, resulting in a process called differentiation (the production of unique cell types to make up the various tissue and organs of the body ). For many years it had been thought that differentiation was an irreversible process in higher order animals ( particularly in mammals ). The cloning of Dolly the Sheep changed that thinking dramatically. Cloning is achieved by a process called Nuclear Transfer. Nuclear Transfer is achieved by transferring the entire nuclear genetic material from a differentiated adult cell into a females egg from which the nucleus has been removed. The egg is then stimulated to divide. Once the embryo reaches a critical size it is transferred to the uterus of a female of the same species (one that is in estrus or otherwise hormonally stimulated to accept the egg and allow it to remain viable ). After a gestation period appropriate to the species the clone will be born.

While cats have been successfully cloned technical difficulties have prevented the successful cloning of dogs. However, dog cloning is spoken of by the companies involved as a sure bet . Why would someone want to clone a dog? While the involved companies claim that such societal benefits as breed improvement and extinction avoidance, the real driving force is the market. There is potentially big money in cloning someone’s favorite canine.

While the cloners say that cloning can produce an animal that is remarkably similar in appearance , and to a lesser degree in behavior, they do make it clear that this is not the original animal. If the uniqueness of a beloved pet dog cannot be duplicated by a clone (it is after all a separate being ) then why is a clone necessary at all? Is it to be used as a reminder to trigger memories of the favorite pet? Isn’t this what pictures and videos are for? Wouldn’t it be more prudent to go to a pound or shelter and find a needy dog of the same breed that has a unique life to live and share? Rather than try to recapitulate a unique dog /owner relationship (an impossibility ) why not save a life and begin a new relationship with a dog that is already alive and in need ?

There is no doubt that cloning of pets has arrived and will be with us for a long time to come. Many people will pay the high fees to have a dog that approximates Fido or Fluffy. Hopefully many more people will opt to continue to visit the shelters and pounds to get their dogs.

By Dr. Bernie Fowler
Contributing Writer