Animal Chatter
by Iris Winston
Pet owners grieve deeply when their beloved animals die. They so much wanted to have had longer with the animals they loved. Some cannot bring themselves to get another animal because they cannot bear the thought of the repeat of the misery that accompanies the loss of a special animal. Others choose a new pup or kitten of the same breed because they are particularly attached to that breed. Still others try a different route, that of cloning.
My way has always been to look for a rescue animal or stray because, as well as helping me to overcome the sadness of losing a dear pet, I can also give a home to an animal in need. Cloning Freya, my 20-year-old Norwegian forest cat (who came to me as a two-year-old stray) or Marnie, my 12-year-old Irish setter (a rescue) would never have occurred to me even had I had the enormous amount of disposable cash needed.
ViaGen, the only company in the U.S. currently cloning pets, charges $50,000 U.S. for dogs and $35,000 U.S. for cats. To me, as well as the cost being exorbitant, the practice is morally questionable and misses the key point of recreating the dearly loved deceased animal.
While appearance can be duplicated to a degree, personality cannot. And the heart and soul of any animal is in his personality. We tell stories about the individual traits of our pets. I remember clearly how my Nova Scotia duck toller begged a friend to throw her ball one more time by depositing it in the drink he was enjoying. (Fortunately, he found the action funny.) Then there was the way that my apricot standard poodle established his right to sit near me in the car by staring out of the back window until my other dog moved back to see what he was looking at, so clearing the coveted space for him.
You cannot clone the analytical skill, the environment that enhances the intelligence and the individuality of the dog. You might reproduce the main characteristics of a breed, as is a purpose of dog or cat breeders, but appearance and instincts are only part of the story. Individual animals are just that and they are simply not alike in every aspect associated with intelligence and temperament. Even when introduced into the same home and similar environment, they will not be treated the same way because time brings the changes of age, occupation and human personality with it. And all of this takes the animal in a different direction.
There is also the worry of just how long a cloned animal will live. Remember Dolly the sheep? She was the first cloned mammal born via research at the Roslin Institute in Scotland in 1996, where she spent the six years that she lived. During that time, she gave birth to several lambs, born the normal way. She died young, about two-thirds of the normal life span for her breed, suffering from lung disease and severe arthritis. There was considerable discussion at the time whether cloned animals aged more quickly than those born naturally. The discussion also speculated on the possibility of the cloned animal entering the world at the same age as the tissue sourced from her ancestor.
Then there is the matter of the ethics of cloning — a topic discussed more fully with regard to pets than with agricultural animals. For every dog cloned, and, to date, some 2,000 have been produced over the last 20 years, two more dogs have to have surgery to enable the use of their embryos or uterus. This brings into play the moral question of performing unnecessary surgery on dogs kept in laboratories and crates for much of their lives. Don’t all dogs deserve the chance of a good life? Further, there is the matter of the thousands of animals waiting in shelters for forever homes. Think how many dogs and cats the $50,000 forked out for one cloned dog could help.
A recent addition to the list of unnecessary treats for dog owners — definitely not for the dogs — is the creation of Fefe, a dog perfume developed by the fashion house Dolce & Gabbana. At a cost of around $150 for 100 millilitres, it has been certified as safe for use on animals. However, I doubt whether it would please the dogs or veterinarians as much as the human purchasers. The scent has the potential to mask any odour that could indicate a medical issue. It could also block smell recognition as dogs greet each other and could lead to hostile reactions between the animals
Some sweet-smelling oils, such as lavender, can be calming for dogs as well as humans, but musk, one of the ingredients of Fefe, can have a negative effect. And there is always the possibility that, after being sprayed with the perfume, a dog may seek to eliminate the smell that he finds offensive by rolling in what he regards as more appropriate. That could lead to an unwanted bath, but he probably wouldn’t think that far ahead.
Almonte, Ontario, writer Iris Winston is a former executive director of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies. She has been an animal lover all her life. Her pets have always been important members of her family.
