A YouTuber recently cloned his deceased dog, raising questions about the unethical nature of animal cloning. (The captured image from the YouTube)
SEOUL, Jan. 6 (Korea Bizwire) –In a recent development that has stirred considerable controversy, a YouTuber successfully cloned their deceased pet dog, leading to the birth of two puppies. This act has drawn sharp criticism from animal protection organizations, which have denounced the practice of dog cloning as both dangerous and unethical.
The YouTuber, who runs the channel ‘Tico the Samoyed’ with 200,000 subscribers, revealed in a video titled ‘My Puppy is Back’ on January 1 that she had cloned their Samoyed dog, Tico, who passed away in a sudden accident in November 2022. The video introduced two puppies resembling Tico, who are currently three months old.
Following the news of the cloned dogs, public opinion has been divided. While some sympathize with the emotional trauma of losing a pet, others criticize the cloning process for being unethical and involving the inevitable sacrifice of other dogs.
There are currently no specific regulations regarding animal cloning under existing animal protection laws. In response to the controversy, the YouTuber stated that she did not see the cloned Ticos as the same as the original and assured that no dogs died during the cloning process. She also mentioned that the cloning cost between 80 million and 120 million won.
However, animal rights organizations argue that the process of cloning a pet dog is not only unethical but also poses health risks to the cloned animals. Typically, animal cloning involves extracting eggs from donor dogs, removing the nucleus, inserting the somatic cell of the animal to be cloned, and then using a surrogate mother for birth. The process inevitably involves physical harm to the animals involved.
The Beagle Rescue Network stated on January 4 that at least 20 egg donor dogs and surrogate mothers are needed to produce one cloned dog. The actual number of dogs involved in egg donation could be much higher. Under current laws, cloning is only permitted for research purposes with limited scope.
The issues raised by the animal rights group include unethical cloning practices, surplus births during the cloning process, health problems such as shorter lifespan in cloned dogs, and unpredictable aggression. They also mentioned that dogs used in these experiments are often from dog meat farms.
May, a cloned quarantine detection dog, died after six years as a detection dog and being used for animal testing again. (Image courtesy of Beagle Rescue Network)
Moreover, since dogs usually give birth to five or six puppies at a time, surplus puppies are born in addition to the cloned one. The organizations are skeptical of the cloning companies’ claims that all surplus dogs are given away for free to good homes.
Cloned dogs also face health issues. A study of 41 cloned quarantine detection dogs born through a national project showed they generally had shorter lifespans and suffered from various diseases such as epilepsy, arthritis, and cancer. Some of the cloned dogs adopted through the organization exhibited severe aggression, unlike the dogs that provided their somatic cells.
The Beagle Rescue Network emphasized, “Even dogs cloned from the same somatic cells differ in personality and appearance. We must be alert to animal cloning that sacrifices dozens of experimental animals for the satisfaction of one person.” They added that while they understand the pain of pet loss, death is a part of life, and the love for a pet comes from shared memories and time, not genetic traits, which cloning cannot replicate.
Animal welfare advocates argue that pet cloning businesses contribute to a disregard for life, treating living beings as commodities with after-sales services or recalls. They call for the establishment of regulations similar to those for animal production, import, sales, and burial businesses, which require government approval to operate.
Legal experts say that cloning should also be regulated, with detailed rules on the care and living conditions provided to the animals used in the cloning process.
The Beagle Rescue Network previously exposed the harsh realities of experimental animals and the cruelty of animal cloning following the death of ‘May’, a cloned dog, in 2019. May, who was born in a laboratory and served as a quarantine detection dog for six years, was involved in another cloning experiment before her death.
The cloning process was conducted by Lee Byeong-chun, a professor at Seoul National University (SNU), known as a leading authority in dog cloning in South Korea. Lee, who was dismissed by SNU in 2022, is currently on trial for allegations of research fund misappropriation and illegal animal experiments.
Re-cloned dogs using somatic cells from ‘Snuffy’, the first cloned dog. (Image from the Scientific Reports, provided by Lee Byung-Cheon and colleagues at Seoul National University College of Veterinary Medicine)
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
