What would you think if someone told you that you could clone your dead dog? Yes, it’s kinda creepy isn’t it? But then again, if Fido was your very best friend, and you wanted him back (or at least an exact replica of him), would you do it if you knew it was possible? Like the Gorilla, many of you have probably experienced the loss of a beloved pet at some time in your life. The Gorilla’s one-of-a-kind best friend was named “Jack,” and there has never been a dog since that could compare. He was an amazing pet and companion, and the Gorilla still gets a little weepy when he thinks about that dog! But would cloning be an option?
For the Gorilla, probably not, but a woman in California sure thought so. The woman, who is handicapped has decided to have her deceased Pit Bull Terrier named Booger, cloned from some ear tissue that she has kept refrigerated from the pet. The South Korean firm, RNL Bio, has agreed to clone the dog for a whopping $150,000 (U.S.). ”It seems that she had a disability and her dog helped her cope with the problem, so she was eager to get a clone of Booger,” the company’s CEO, Ra Jeong-Chan, was quoted as telling the Korean Times. The cloning will be conducted by Seoul National University, while RNL Bio looks after the business side. Ra says that there are many Western countries that will want to clone their pets and he says that he expects to have 500 orders within a few years from the U.S. and elsewhere. Wow!
Apparently, a team at SNU created the world’s first cloned dog, and Afghan hound named Snuppy in 2005. Since then, no teams have been successful in cloning dogs. This will be the first time that a dog will be cloned in a commercial contract. Now, don’t get the Gorilla wrong here, but he is not really a big fan of the whole cloning procedure. Many people feel that cloning, no matter what the species, is morally questionable and some consider it reprehensible. It has always been controversial, but be that as it may, it is not only possible, but it is a reality for those who can afford it.
Well, that’s really not surprising since it seems that money trumps almost everything these days - morals included! You may be someone who says, “I would never do such a thing” and hey, many people feel that way. Add to the moral issue, a price tag of $150,000, and who could blame them? But let the Gorilla ask you this question; if the price tag was more affordable-let’s say- $1500 or maybe $2500 to clone your dead pet…..would you reconsider? Most likely, many of those who claimed they are dead against it for “moral reasons” when it seemed out of reach, would suddenly make an exception. Weird how that works, isn’t it? You decide!