In a recent interview, Barbra Streisand said her two Coton du Tulear dogs, Miss Scarlett and Miss Violet, were cloned from her beloved dog Samantha, who died last year.
"I'm waiting for them to get older so I can see if they have her [Samantha's] brown eyes and seriousness," Streisand told Variety.
Most Coton du Tulear dogs have brown eyes, but Miss Scarlett and Miss Violet may not have Samantha's seriousness, since cloned animals don't share the same personality traits as the original.
Very few, if any, animal welfare organizations endorse animal cloning. On its website, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) calls for "a moratorium on the research, promotion and sale of cloned and bioengineered pets." The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) states, "The pet cloning industry targets grieving pet owners who desperately want their pet alive again. If the cloned animal survives, they may not even physically resemble the deceased pet yet alone replicate their unique and endearing traits. Our companion animal friends are irreplaceable. We can best honor them by helping local shelter animals find loving, safe homes."
Cloning Samantha likely cost Streisand over $100,000. Just think of all the homeless animals that could have helped instead! "Our companion animal friends are irreplaceable," says the HSUS. "We can best honor them by helping local shelter animals find loving, safe homes."
Please sign and share this petition asking Streisand to also honor Samantha in a more ethical way by making a donation to an animal rescue, shelter or nonprofit organization like the American Coton Club, which helps find fosters and forever homes for Cotons in need.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
