Unveiling the astonishing secrets behind laboratory puppy mills

In the dimly lit living room, heavy hearts and tear-streaked faces surround the worn-out dog bed, cradling their beloved canine companion, who lies there, weak and frail.

Each breath, a poignant reminder of the limited time they have left together.

The once vibrant and playful tail now barely wags, but the unconditional love still radiates from those soulful eyes.

As the family clings to their faithful friend, memories flood their minds, a mosaic of cherished moments etched forever in their hearts.

It's an agonizing farewell, a profound ache that no words can heal, as they come to terms with the inevitable parting.

The room echoes with hushed whispers of gratitude, for the joy this four-legged angel brought into their lives.

Their emotions intertwine in a symphony of love and sorrow, bound by an unbreakable bond.

Can they truly find solace in knowing that their furry friend will rest forever in their hearts?

Through the incredible advancement in genetics over the last decade, they might not ever have to find out.

The most difficult thing about owning a cherished pet, the moment it draws its last breath, can now be erased by science.

Since 2005, commercial cloning has become an option for those who deeply cherish their pet and wish to preserve its unique traits.

Imagine bringing a beloved tail-wagging friend back to life.

Another full and happy 12 to 15 years with the loyal one who stayed by your side when life became too difficult to bare.

During the darkest nights, your dog's reassuring presence could again bring comfort and a sense of security.

With every wag of the tail and gentle nuzzle, your pup could once again provide a beacon of hope, igniting a resilient spirit within.

Sure, $50,000 seems like a lot until one realizes there is no price tag large enough to hold the love for their beloved family pet.

But…

Just because you CAN do something, does it also mean you SHOULD do it?

We can all understand the very real emotional reasons for wanting to bring back a dog that has passed on all too soon.

Rationalizing the ethical and scientific justifications for the actual cloning process is more difficult, however.

Since the successful cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1996, scientists have been eager to explore mammal cloning possibilities in other species, including mice, cattle, pigs, goats, rabbits, and cats.

However, when it came to dogs, the process posed a greater challenge due to variations in the canine reproductive system.

In 2005, a South Korean research team achieved the first successful dog cloning by creating two Afghan hound puppies using ear-skin cells from a dog named Tai.

Unfortunately, one of the cloned puppies succumbed to pneumonia shortly after birth, while the other, named Snuppy, defied expectations and lived an impressive 10 years.

Snuppy's remarkable achievement earned him recognition as a "revolutionary breakthrough in dog cloning" and one of Time magazine's most awe-inspiring "inventions" of the year.

During that period, scientists engaged in discussions about the potential consequences of cloning. Particularly, they were interested in whether cloned animals age faster or face elevated risks of diseases compared to their cell donors.

Dolly, the cloned sheep, tragically passed away at the age of 6, half the average lifespan of sheep, succumbing to lung disease and arthritis.

Snuppy experienced a similar fate, falling victim to the same cancer that had claimed Tai's life.

In 2017, the South Korean research team addressed this concern in a paper in Nature magazine, delving into their efforts to produce clones using Snuppy's own stem cells.

Through ongoing research, they continue to investigate the health and longevity of cloned animals in comparison to their cell donors.

According to a Scientific Reports article written in July 2022, “Over 1500 dogs, representing approximately 20% of the American Kennel Club’s recognized breeds, have now been cloned, making the dog one of the most successfully cloned mammals.”

The real ethical issues behind cloning, though, come from the process itself.

In order to produce one healthy cloned individual, hundreds of other animals must be used as surrogate dogs living out their entire lives in sterile implantation and birthing kennels. In addition, thousands of unborn ones must perish.

As the Smithsonian Magazine reveals, “1000 embryos and 123 surrogate dogs were required to make the first pair of cloned dogs, in 2005.”

Not only that, but donor female dogs must go through an invasive surgical procedure to extract her eggs from her fallopian tubes.

These eggs are stripped of their nucleus, creating a blank space without DNA content.

Scientists then implant the grown DNA strands from the animal to be cloned into several surrogate females.

The original DNA from the donor female held only mitochondrial DNA (half of the DNA information required to produce life). The newly altered egg cells have a full set of genetic material.

In a procedure strikingly similar to Frankenstein’s, the scientists fuse the blank egg and the new genetic material together with a spark. This electric jolt prompts the egg to begin dividing… and just like that… new life has begun.

A few days later, assuming the cell division process has been successful, the laboratory proceeds with surgically implanting the viable cells into surrogate female dogs.

Pumped with hormones and occasionally "mated" with vasectomized male dogs, these surrogate mothers hopefully carry their artificial pregnancies to full term.

According to award-winning science journalist and best-selling author, David Erwin Duncan, “It can take a dozen or more embryos to produce a single healthy dog. Along the way, the surrogate mothers may be treated with hormones that, over time, can be dangerous, and many of the babies are miscarried, born dead, or deformed.”

Frequently, these surrogates continue to support additional cloned pregnancies throughout their lives.

“You need a good number of dogs to do this type of cloning,” a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s College of Veterinary Medicine acknowledges. Professor Ko adds that the success rate has risen in subsequent years. “I would say it’s about 20 percent. Very high.”

If all that weren’t enough, individuals who have cloned their pets reveal they are not exactly the same animal. As Barbara Streisand famously said, “You can clone the look of a dog, but you can’t clone the soul.”

Inherited temperament can only go so far. The cloned pooch will never have the same experiences of the original pet.

The late nights crying in its fur after a difficult break-up.

The cherished memories of running on the beach together after meeting the man of your dreams.

The time your puppy laid its head on your lap comforting you when you were sick.

The cloned animal may have that same white spot on its left toe, but its personality will be uniquely its own… with new shared memories to shape its life.

Laboratory puppy mills have now produced thousands of cloned animals requiring tens of thousands of unsuccessful embryonic attempts and thousands of surrogate females.

All in an effort to eradicate the real emotional pain that naturally comes with losing a great dog.

But by trying to cheat death, we deprive our most cherished pet of giving us its last, and possibly its best, gift of all… reminding us that life is fleeting and we must all face our ultimate end with the courage, grace and humility that a dog always shows in its last moments.

I have known a few tragic deaths in my time.

These beautiful souls live on in my heart as the unique and special individuals they were to me.

No cloning process can bring them back, nor do I want it to.

When humans pretend they have god-like powers, something always goes awry.

Nature’s way is always the best way.

Nature can sometimes appear cruel and unfeeling, but there is always a lesson if we care to open our hearts to the message.

The Dire Wolf Project formally rejects cloning and any other artificial means of reproduction, including artificial insemination.

We never force a female to breed or become pregnant. We only produce litters by live cover. We prefer natural birthing conditions, only using c-section when the life of the mother or her puppies is threatened. And we only produce a litter to improve the breed, never overbreeding a female for her lifetime.

Speaking of retired mothers, we currently house several loving, well-mannered matrons awaiting their forever homes.

They have graciously given us their contribution to the enhancement of the Dire Wolf Project and are now hoping to retire in luxury.

Since we only keep the best our breed has to offer, you know these lovely girls were the pick females in their litters.

Here is the link to view the adults hoping to find their forever homes:

https://direwolfdogs.com/dogs-for-sale/adults/

P.S. If you aren’t prepared to bring an adult dog into your home at this time, consider sponsoring their care and feeding. Donation instructions are provided at the link above.

REFERENCES

https://www.viagenpets.com/faq/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-cloning-your-dog-so-wrong-180968550

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9249891/

https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/08/dog-cloning-animal-sooam-hwang

Jennifer Stoeckl is the co-founder of the Dire Wolf Project, founder of the DireWolf Guardians American Dirus Dog Training Program, and owner/operator of DireWolf Dogs of Vallecito. She lives in the beautiful inland northwest among the Ponderosa pine forests with her pack of American Dirus dogs.