Although it sounds crazy, today it is possible to clone animals thanks to science and technology. A cloned animal is an identical copy of another animal, so they share exactly the same genes and characteristics.
In South Korea they are cloning police dogs since, as pointed out by a news agency, it is much cheaper to clone an animal than to train another pet from scratch. Thus, a clone of a police dog would cost about half that of a furry one that has not been genetically cloned.
In addition, the trainers ensure that the animal is fit to perform its job and do not waste time with pets that are not suitable for tracking. Because of this, cloning has skyrocketed and 80% of the dogs currently working in airports for the Korean Quarantine Agency are clones.
A very popular case is that of Quinn, a German shepherd who twelve years ago found the body of a girl quite quickly. Since then, the body of this dog has been cloned numerous times by the South Korean police.
Many animal groups are opposed to this practice, especially because of the treatment these animals receive after their removal from the police force. One of the best known cases is that of Mei, a beagle who died in terrible conditions after having cooperated with the police for five years and having been a laboratory dog at the University of Seoul.
Despite pressure from animal groups and citizens, Korea continues to maintain one of the few clinics in the world that specializes in dog cloning. The director of this clinic, Hwang Woo-suk, also presents several convictions for ethical violations.
Furthermore, cloning is a complex process that requires the suffering of many animals. According to the Kara Animal Rights Association, the female’s oocytes are needed, so they undergo an operation. Similarly, many cloned puppies are born with deformities and health problems.
Despite this, cloning is still legal in the country and business is done with it. Many customers flock to buy an identical copy of their deceased pet, paying around € 90,000 for the clone. Until when are we going to allow it?
