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South Korean Scientists Clone Dog
Ebon Praetor writes "According to the BBC and Reuters, South Korean scientists have created the world's first cloned dog, an Afghan hound. The research purpose of the research is ostensibly to produce research animals and not for commercial purposes. Dogs are especially difficult to clone, but the scientists were able to extract DNA from a skin cell, inject it into an egg, and implant the egg into a surrogate mother."
I hold nothing but extreme vitriol towards people that breed dogs when there are so many cats and dogs that are out on the streets and in shelters needing good homes. Same goes towards any pet store that sells cats and dogs.
People, please spay or neuter your pets and don't allow your ego to perpetuate the suffering of homeless cats and dogs.
Bill Clinton: Pimp we can believe in. - The Shirt!!!
Quoth the article: "Canine cloning runs contrary to the Kennel Club's objective 'To promote in every way the general improvement of dogs'," Phil Buckley, spokesman for the Kennel Club told the BBC News website.
But the KC does things like register particular breeds of dogs which, due to their popularity, have been improperly bred so that they develop a wide variety of health problems. Some breeds are even prone to genetic disorders even if they aren't inbred. So doesn't promoting the breeding of these susceptible dog breeds detract from the lives of those dogs?
And besides that, there are so many dogs out there that are euthanized because nobody can find homes for them. Doesn't intentionally breeding more dogs in such an environment make life worse (as in, dead) for the dogs that get euthanized?
Yes, I think that cloning animals to be pets is a bad idea, but aside from the multitude of failed clones, I don't get how that's any worse than breeding them. And at least the cloning scientists have a goal of improving the state of medicine for humans.
If you accept animals being used for research, then cloning is a very neccessary step. Sure, it would be cheaper to just let them go at it, but then you don't get genetically identical test subjects.
With clones, you can inuduce cancer in multiple animals, and give half a drug. The non-treated animals are now a perfect control group.
I'll be modded down, but this has to be said. I don't care if you are joking, but people like you unnecessarily perpetuate negative stereotypes about Asian cultures. Westerners act like they are high and mighty, and that the exotic food other cultures eat are signs of primitive, uncivilized cultures. But you should take a second, and realize that America's Texans eat the heads, intestines, and feet of hogs and cows. Please don't make out like other cultures' choice of cuisines are inferior to yours. If anything, the Western (specifically American) food lifestyle is the most dispicable in the world. Obesity has run rampant and an excess amount of food is wasted every day. Tsk tsk tsk.
Do not attempt to put guilt upon the good breeders out there. It is not their fault for the huge numbers of homeless animals and they should not have their legitimate activities curtailed.
The good breeders promote their breeds by ensuring only the good representatives of the breed are bred. They usually sell their dogs in two classes, show and pet. Show class dogs are show no signs of defect, injury, or disease. They are splendid examples of their breed and will help to keep the breed useful and defect free. Pet quality dogs are usually those whom the breeder to be healthy animals yet not posses the best qualities representative of the breed. They are sold on the condition that they are to be spayed or neutured. Their registration actually prevents unscrupulous buyers from registering litters produced by them.
The good effect of cloning is that by advancements in the procedures it may be possible to eliminate some defects that show up in various types of animals thereby improving the breeds.
I am all for control of the pet population but it is just as selfish to condemn all breeders and sellers as it is to ignore the problem out there. Quite a few states PERMIT puppy-mills (Misourri is one). I am all for shutting down those places and the businesses that use them.
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
Oh please!! Fact is, nature is nature. As such, they will continue to breed and roam the wild which includes our cities. We might as well shelter "stray" birds and rodents while were at it.
By default, all animals are unwanted when it comes to domestication. Breeding is nothing more then controlled domestication as seen fit by society. Regardless whether we breed animals or not, there will ALWAYS be a population of them in the wild.
Life is not for the lazy.
After being in Korea I found several other reasons to stop eating dog.
#1 Koreans used to treat dogs terribly, since they are increadibly loyal beating them is rather unseemly.
#2 People's pets were often stolen for the cooking pot... not pleasant.