2008 Woodie Awards
Cloning detrimental to grieving
Amanda Heidman
Issue date: 4/28/08 Section: Opinion
Everyone loves pets - their dog is the only thing that can shoot them little doe eyes while begging for scraps at the dinner table, or their cat is the only creature that could possibly cuddle up next to them on the couch while watching TV. No other animal could ever replace them, right?
As coldhearted as it may sound, this kind of thinking is foolish. However, it is common and has led many pet owners to the idea of cloning.
According to MSNBC.com, pet cloning is possible and it has been done, producing CC (CopyCat), the black and white tabby cat that was recently born at Texas A&M University. As a pet owner, it is hard to say where your heart might pull you after the death of your beloved cat or dog, and it is very possible many people would want to turn to cloning to get their best friend back, but does that make it right?
No. It isn't right to clone pets after their death. A lot of people argue this on the basis of "playing God" or abusing science, but overall I think it is wrong because it is damaging to the owner and their mental and emotional health.
Grieving is a natural part of life and something everyone must deal with at some point. By trying to clone one's pet, the owners are numbing themselves of the pain and denying themselves the chance to grow as a person. The animal that came out in the end wouldn't be the same animal, as everyone (dogs and cats included) is formed by the experiences they have throughout their life. It would look unnaturally similar to the previous pet and could possibly have the same temperament, but overall it would just be upsetting for the owner to look at a completely different animal that looks identical to the one they loved so much.
And of course, there is the issue of dog and cat overpopulation. Every year millions of animals' lives are cut short because of the high population of homeless animals. Cloning a dog or cat not only fails to help this problem, but it adds to it. The proper thing to do would be to adopt a new pet that truly needs a home, and transplant that leftover love into the new pet. It would be much more mentally and emotionally responsible for the owner, and it would help to take one more dog or cat out of the shelters.
As coldhearted as it may sound, this kind of thinking is foolish. However, it is common and has led many pet owners to the idea of cloning.
According to MSNBC.com, pet cloning is possible and it has been done, producing CC (CopyCat), the black and white tabby cat that was recently born at Texas A&M University. As a pet owner, it is hard to say where your heart might pull you after the death of your beloved cat or dog, and it is very possible many people would want to turn to cloning to get their best friend back, but does that make it right?
No. It isn't right to clone pets after their death. A lot of people argue this on the basis of "playing God" or abusing science, but overall I think it is wrong because it is damaging to the owner and their mental and emotional health.
Grieving is a natural part of life and something everyone must deal with at some point. By trying to clone one's pet, the owners are numbing themselves of the pain and denying themselves the chance to grow as a person. The animal that came out in the end wouldn't be the same animal, as everyone (dogs and cats included) is formed by the experiences they have throughout their life. It would look unnaturally similar to the previous pet and could possibly have the same temperament, but overall it would just be upsetting for the owner to look at a completely different animal that looks identical to the one they loved so much.
And of course, there is the issue of dog and cat overpopulation. Every year millions of animals' lives are cut short because of the high population of homeless animals. Cloning a dog or cat not only fails to help this problem, but it adds to it. The proper thing to do would be to adopt a new pet that truly needs a home, and transplant that leftover love into the new pet. It would be much more mentally and emotionally responsible for the owner, and it would help to take one more dog or cat out of the shelters.
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