Last night I was not feeling well. I kept on jumping off the bed thinking I had to go to the bathroom but it was mostly false alarms and I since I didn't feel so well I really needed to snuggle really close to my mommy. I basically kept her up most of the night and she was worried that I was sick and would get sicker since I was acting particular. She gets really worried when I am sick as she couldn't stand to lose me. We are still reeling from the lost of Q-Ball.
That is why when I was made aware of this article in the Daily Mail about a wealthy American couple who had their beloved dearly departed Labrador Retriever Sir Lancelot cloned it hit close to home. You see, we have some of Q-Ball's hair as a keepsake and I am not sure if that is enough to get DNA to clone her but it is something that crosses our mind (not that we can afford it right now).
The couple, Edgar and Nina Otto decided to have DNA samples of their pooch Sir Lancelot frozen six years ago, after he was diagnosed with cancer. After he died last January in 2008, the wealthy pair then paid a biotech firm $150,000 to create Lancelot Encore.
BioArts International created Lancelot Encore in South Korea, where he was born 10 weeks ago. The Ottos are thrilled and say he's the first single-birth, commercially cloned puppy in the United States.
The Ottos already have nine other dogs, 10 cats, six sheep and four parrots on their 12 acres in West Boca, but they insisted Lancelot was special.
'He was a human dog,' Ed said. 'He read your emotions. He knew when to be with you and when to leave you alone.' This is very touching to me and mom as Q-Ball was very much like that, she was one of the most smartest, empathic beings I have ever known and we miss her so much. When you are childless, as the Otto's and my mother are, your pets become your children.
However Q-Ball was a great spirit too, so I wonder if she was cloned if it would really be the same experience or the equivalent of having one of her puppies? Can you clone the spirit, the essence of a being? The Otto's are very well off so they can afford the luxury of cloning (although they say their next pet will be a rescue dog). If something was to happen to me and my mom can afford to clone me I would give her my blessings as she would definitely find comfort from having a little replica of me or Q-Ball around but I think it wouldn't be my spirit as in our death our energy is released into the Universe and I don't think cloning would bring it back.
Some people would argue that with the money spent on cloning this couple could have funded an animal shelter or adopted a rescue dog. That's true. However it's their hard earned money so we shouldn't judge how they chose to spend it. My mom and I understand why the Otto's did what they did and we hope that Lancelot Encore will bring the joy that Sir Lancelot the Original did.
Yup, don't ever let it be said the PPP stays away from the heavy questions! Chow for now!
1 comment:
Very deep stuff for a dog.
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