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<strong>Pet</strong> <strong>Tails</strong><br />
It is often truly said<br />
that for many people, pets aren’t<br />
just animals they are members<br />
of the family–but would you<br />
go so far as to clone your fourfooted<br />
family member after he<br />
had passed away? Cloning is<br />
not a new subject and neither<br />
is pet cloning. However,<br />
recent stories in the news and<br />
a recent showing of the TLC<br />
network’s “I Cloned My <strong>Pet</strong>”<br />
have brought the subject to the<br />
forefront once again. Our pets<br />
provide us with years of love<br />
and enjoyment, so much so that<br />
the possibility of keeping them<br />
with us forever is a tantalizing<br />
prospect. One critic of the<br />
science has stated that “dog<br />
cloning is not as ‘cuddly’ as<br />
it seems.” Pulitzer Prizewinning<br />
investigative reporter<br />
John Woestendiek reveals the<br />
darker side of cloning our furry<br />
friends. What Stiff did for the<br />
dead and Fast Food Nation did<br />
for the burger, Woestendiek’s<br />
Dog, Inc.: The Uncanny<br />
Inside Story of Cloning<br />
Man’s Best Friend does for<br />
the stranger-than-fiction world<br />
of commercial dog cloning.<br />
Woestendiek was<br />
inspired to write this book by<br />
the story of former Wyoming<br />
beauty queen Bernann<br />
McKinney who was so<br />
distraught over the death of her<br />
pit bull Booger that she paid<br />
$50,000 for the chance to bring<br />
her beloved companion back<br />
to life. The result was 5 new<br />
“Boogers” in 2008. The author<br />
was struck by the lengths<br />
people were willing to go for<br />
their pets and intrigued by the<br />
compelling questions about<br />
the boundaries of science,<br />
commerce and ethics. As he<br />
states: “It was great material<br />
for a book–and, ultimately,<br />
I wanted to explore one big<br />
question. If cloning<br />
dogs is okay, is<br />
cloning humans<br />
okay?” This book<br />
follows a host of<br />
colorful characters<br />
who sought to<br />
replace their<br />
companion animals<br />
with a new but<br />
genetically identical<br />
generation–<br />
”colorful” because<br />
as the author stated when<br />
questioned: “In addition to<br />
being moneyed [cloning<br />
doesn’t come cheap!], these<br />
are people who relish being<br />
in control, like things their<br />
way, and don’t like being told<br />
they can’t do something”–as<br />
well as providing in-depth<br />
investigative reporting of the<br />
scientific background and<br />
complex genetics, the Korean<br />
and American scientists and<br />
companies who are involved<br />
in this emerging industry, the<br />
allegations of scientific fraud,<br />
and much more, all written<br />
in a readable, conversational<br />
style that will appeal to a wider<br />
audience than just dog lovers<br />
or those involved in either side<br />
of the cloning issue.<br />
The author feels<br />
that domestic cloning has<br />
focused on dogs because<br />
people tend to connect more<br />
with canines–”a lot of owners<br />
come to see themselves in their<br />
dogs...and no other domestic<br />
animal is closer, emotionally,<br />
to humans.” Dogs have<br />
come indoors to be coddled<br />
~Spay & Neuter Your <strong>Pet</strong>s ~<br />
like children. They have<br />
increasingly been outfitted with<br />
enhancements from collars,<br />
to clothing, to pacemakers<br />
and more. The author argues<br />
whether artificially lengthening<br />
dogs lives has less to do with<br />
their wellbeing than with our<br />
attachment to them. Dog,<br />
Inc. is a fascinating look at<br />
how our emotional needs<br />
are bending the reaches of<br />
science and technology. With<br />
our pet obsession climbing to<br />
new heights and our scientific<br />
abilities even more so, this<br />
book raises the question: are<br />
we crossing the boundary of<br />
controlling science in the name<br />
of love, in the name of science,<br />
in the name of merchandising,<br />
or a blend of all three?<br />
Published by Avery<br />
Books, this book was published<br />
in hardcover under this title<br />
in 2010. It was released in<br />
paperback in January of this<br />
year under the title: Dog,<br />
Inc.: How a Collection<br />
of Visionaries, Rebels,<br />
Eccentrics and Their <strong>Pet</strong>s<br />
Launched the Commercial<br />
Dog Cloning Industry.<br />
And now for<br />
something COMPLETELY<br />
different!<br />
As a young child,<br />
<strong>Pet</strong>er Brown found a frog<br />
in the woods and brought it<br />
home to be his pet.<br />
His mother was not<br />
happy: “Would you<br />
like it if a wild animal<br />
made YOU its pet?”<br />
To which he replied:<br />
“Absolutely!” Thus<br />
was formed the<br />
seed for a humorous<br />
and heartwarming<br />
picture book twist<br />
on the classic “first<br />
pet” story by grownup<br />
author/illustrator<br />
<strong>Pet</strong>er Brown entitled Children<br />
Make Terrible <strong>Pet</strong>s.<br />
When Lucy, a young<br />
bear, discovers a boy in the<br />
woods while practicing her<br />
“twirls,” she is delighted and<br />
brings him home, begging<br />
February March 2012 Page 5<br />
her mom to let her keep him.<br />
Her mom warns: “Children<br />
make terrible pets!” Lucy<br />
prevails and names her new pet<br />
Squeaker. Through a series of<br />
hilarious and surprising scenes,<br />
young readers can join Lucy<br />
and Squeaker on their day of<br />
fun and decide for themselves<br />
whether or not children really<br />
DO make terrible pets. A great<br />
book with fun illustrations for<br />
story time or bedtime reading.<br />
Publisher: Little Brown Books<br />
for Young Readers<br />
Pub. Date: 2010<br />
I leave you with the<br />
following thought: “I would<br />
be most content if my children<br />
grew up to be the kind of<br />
people who think decorating<br />
consists mostly of building<br />
enough bookshelves.” - Anna<br />
Quindlen.<br />
Til next time.<br />
<strong>Joan</strong><br />
<strong>Joan</strong> is a retired chief<br />
librarian in Lynn, MA.<br />
She can be contacted at<br />
<strong>Joan</strong>R50@netzero.net