Recently, a YouTuber (A) cloned a pet dog that passed away in an accident, sparking controversy among social media users. The YouTuber posted a video titled “My dog is back” on his channel, Samoyed Tiko.
The process of dog cloning and the ethical controversy
The dog owner shows off her two cloned dogs and says she hired a cloning company to clone them. The dog cloning process works by taking a somatic cell sample from your deceased dog. The process requires multiple surrogate mothers and egg-providing animals, which has led to criticism of the violation of animals’ right to life.
How much does it cost to clone a dog?
Pet cloning is commonly referred to as a cloning service. According to VIAGEN PETS, a company that provides cloning services, the cost of cloning a dog is about 60 million won, and about 30 million won for a cat. That’s still a significant amount of money, but he says it’s less than it used to be. It is also known that cloning requires a waiting period of about 6 months or more due to high demand.
Cloning Methods
Cloning is the process of duplicating your pet’s genes. For cloning, you must first harvest somatic cells from the animal you want to clone. The somatic cell nucleus of the animal you want to clone is then inserted into another dog’s egg and fertilized using methods such as electrical stimulation.
On the other hand, it is said that animals born through cloning are genetically similar to the original animal, but may have different personalities or temperaments depending on environmental factors. So, keep in mind that it can be difficult to clone the perfect pet.
Mixed reactions from the public
Reactions to the video on Samoyed Tiko’s channel have been mixed. While some expressed understanding, noting that parting with the dog must have been traumatic for the owner, others expressed concern about the ethical issues raised by the cloning process and the value of life.
A YouTuber’s perspective
In response to the controversy, the YouTuber explained that he was not equating the cloned Tiko with the original Tiko, and that he was merely carrying on the name “Tiko. He added that he still says hello every morning in front of Tico’s urn.
