BANGKOK: A female French bulldog named Paphaeng, now five months old, is Thailand’s first cloned dog. Despite a slight difference in the left ear pattern, she appears healthy and cheerful.
Kancharat Sakdikonthanasiri (pic), Paphaeng’s owner, revealed that the original Paphaeng had died from canine Cushing’s syndrome. She then contacted Supasek Sarachitti, a stem cell expert known for successfully cloning dogs.
Supasek agreed but set two conditions: Kancharat had to appoint someone to care for the cloned dog after her passing and be prepared for criticism about cloning being unnatural.
Kancharat included the cloned dog and her 16 other dogs in her will. She acknowledged that while the cloning process cost six million baht (US$0.18 million), she valued the emotional bond over money.
“Paphaeng gave me strength to fight through life’s struggles,” she said.
Supasek extracted cells from the original Paphaeng’s ear and sent them to South Korea, where cloning expert Hwang Woo-Suk successfully cloned the dog after five attempts over a year.
The cost included cloning and genetic modification, with the latter alone exceeding 20 million baht (US$0.59 million). However, Hwang waived the genetic modification fee after seeing Kancharat’s deep attachment to Paphaeng.
When the cloned Paphaeng met Kancharat at four months old, she stared at her owner before showing signs of recognition. To Kancharat’s surprise, the cloned dog understood Thai commands.
This aligns with the doctor’s remark that cloned dogs will not only share the same shape, colour, and gender, but may also retain memories - except for their body markings, which might differ.
Kancharat acknowledged criticism about cloning being unnatural but sees it as a scientific advancement that reunited her with her beloved pet without harming others.
As for the original Paphaeng’s remains, Kancharat has preserved them in refrigeration and plans to bury them at her home when the time comes. - The Nation/ANN
