The Snuff of Nightmares

25 Apr 08

It seems the snuff of nightmares - genetically cloned working dogs! They can’t be serious, can they? Cloning dogs to sniff drugs and explosives?

Makes me worry that it reduces the relationship of two-leggeds and four-leggeds to pure function. The dog as a biological machine. Yuck. The thought postively gets my ruff up! Gggrrrrr…

If you think I’m pulling your paws, I must sadly assure you I’m not. Unfortunately. From the country of the world’s first cloned dog — you remember Snuppy, the handsome Afghan? — it was announced that the South Korean Customs Service have successfully cloned seven Labrador retrievers. They plan to put duplicated dogs on patrol as sniffer dogs.

The seven cloned sniffing retrievers are being trained near Seoul’s Incheon Airport. The dogs were born six months ago after each was cloned from a skilled drug-sniffing canine in active service.

In February, all seven dogs passed a behaviour test aimed at finding whether they are genetically qualified to work as sniffing dogs. Only 10% to 15% of naturally born dogs typically pass the test.

On this basis officials justify their use of cloning sniffer dogs as time- and cost-saving. The seven dogs are the world’s first cloned drug-sniffing dogs.

Kim Nak-seung at the Customs Service training centre says that the cloned dogs “have a superior nature. They are active and excel in accepting the training.”

Representatives of Seoul National University said it cost approximately $100,000 to $150,000 to clone each of the seven golden Labs. Woof! How can that possibly be thought to be ‘cost-saving?’

Hhhmmnn… I’m not sure I approve….

Woof! Archie