SHANGHAI (SCMP): A woman in China who spent 160,000 yuan (US$22,000) to replicate her dead dog using a skin sample has sparked widespread interest in pet cloning services.
While animal cloning is not against the law in China, the practice must comply with ethical guidelines, and cloning companies must have the proper qualifications.
The woman, surnamed Xu, from Hangzhou in eastern China, shared her story with the mainland media outlet Personage. She bought a Doberman called Joker in 2011.
Joker was her loyal and brave companion, providing her with an “irreplaceable sense of security” during her time living alone.
At the age of nine, the dog needed surgery for malignant sarcoma in its neck. Due to the risks involved with anaesthesia, it underwent the procedure without sedation, calmly cooperating.
Xu said: “It was always so trusting and strong, enduring the pain bravely.”
When Joker turned 10, it started to have heart problems, often coughing, wheezing, and twitching.
Xu took it to a Shanghai pet hospital every two weeks for the treatment.
But in November 2022, Joker died from a heart attack at the age 11.
Xu said: “Joker was my closest friend. It witnessed a decade of my life, from my studies to my career.”
The dog’s death caused pain far worse than she could have imagined, leaving her with insomnia, a weakened immune system, and frequent illnesses.
With a background in the medical field, Xu had been following China’s pet cloning industry for years.
In 2017, when China saw its first cloned dog, Xu consulted several pet cloning experts.
She chose to keep the name of the cloning company private.
After visiting their facility, she decided to clone Joker and paid the fee upfront.
Technicians explained that a skin sample is taken, combined with an egg cell from another animal to create an embryo, which is then implanted in a surrogate to give birth to the clone.
The cloned pet closely resembles the original in appearance, personality, and other traits, similar to twins. It also has no health issues or premature ageing, and has a normal lifespan.
After Joker’s death, the cloning company took a small piece of skin from its abdomen and the tips of its ears.
Around a year later, Xu received an ultrasound report confirming the success of the experiment, along with growth videos every 15 days.
Before the 2024 Lunar New Year, Xu picked up the new dog which she named Little Joker from the facility.
In her time with Little Joker, Xu noticed many similarities to the original. Their appearances are almost identical, including a black spot near the nose.
Little Joker also loves to steal socks, drinks water the same way, and shares Joker’s obedient, gentle personality. It even picks up the leash Joker used for years and walks around with it.
Xu realises that Little Joker does not fill the emptiness of her loss and she still carries a notebook filled with photos of Joker.
She said: “Caring for this new life helped me temporarily forget the pain of losing Joker.”
Xu sees Little Joker not as a replacement, but as a complete, independent life.
“I lacked experience raising Joker and left many regrets. Little Joker gives me a second chance to love and care for it fully,” she said.
When Xu shared her story on social media, some netizens questioned whether the cloning process harms surrogate dogs.
She responded that the dogs are well cared for by the cloning company, and some are adopted by pet lovers.
One online observer said: “I understand and support Xu’s decision. Cloning is not about bringing back the dead. It is a way to continue love.”
Another netizen shared a different view: “The soul of a dog cannot be cloned. Using cloning to cope with the loss of a pet is a very human-centred approach.
“Everyone has their own way of dealing with grief, but cloning may not be a healthy solution.” - South China Morning Post
