Jurassic bark: Part one - Pet owners spending $135,000 to clone their dogs | 60 Minutes Australia

Summary

The transcript from "60 Minutes Australia" presents the intriguing concept of dog cloning, giving insight into the journey of British author Tom Griffiths, who spent $135,000 to clone his cherished dog, Daisy. The process involves intricate scientific procedures carried out in South Korea by Suam Biotech, the leading dog-cloning facility. The ethical debate is highlighted, with experts questioning the wisdom of creating genetic replicas while noting the differing personalities of cloned animals. The episode also delves into the emotional and financial aspects of such endeavors, ultimately prompting viewers to reflect on the morality and practicality of cloning beloved pets.

Highlights

• Tom Griffiths decided to clone his dearly departed dog, Daisy, at the cost of $135,000. 🐶💸
• Suam Biotech, located in South Korea, is at the forefront of dog cloning technology. 🧪
• The cloning process involves complex scientific methods, including extracting DNA from skin or muscle cells. 🔬
• Critics argue that cloning is cruel and ultimately doesn't replicate the original pet's personality. 🚫
• Consumers sometimes sell assets to afford pet cloning, indicating the strong bond with their pets. 💼❤️

Key Takeaways

• Cloning your beloved pet can cost a whooping $135,000! 💸
• Suam Biotech in South Korea is the world's biggest dog cloning facility. 🧬
• Clones might share DNA with the original, but their personalities and markings can differ. 🎭
• The ethical debate on animal cloning is far from settled, posing moral questions even to pet lovers. 🤔
• Cloning doesn't guarantee identical pets—sometimes resulting in unexpected multiples! 🔢

Overview

Imagine a world where you need never say goodbye to your beloved pooch. Thanks to the advancement of science, cloning pets is now a reality, albeit an expensive one. In Australia, dog owners are spending up to $135,000 at Suam Biotech in South Korea to bring a replica of their furry friend to life. This process is not without its critics, who question the ethical implications of cloning.

At the heart of this scientific marvel is Suam Biotech, the leading dog cloning lab globally, where hundreds of dogs have been cloned, including Tom Griffiths' beloved Daisy. The cloning involves extracting DNA from the deceased pet and implanting it into a surrogate mother. The process, though fascinating, raises moral questions about animal welfare and the nature of pet ownership.

While some see cloning as a miraculous way to keep their cherished pets with them, others see it as a controversial and risky endeavor. Cloning might create a genetic replica, but it cannot replicate an animal's essence or behavior, pointing to the complex relationship between humans and their animal companions. As this technology develops, it challenges our perceptions of life, companionship, and science's role in shaping it.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 01:00: Introduction to Cloning Pets The introduction discusses the novel concept of cloning pets, specifically dogs, as a way to help humans cope with the loss of beloved animals. Originating from a laboratory in South Korea, the process involves creating replicas of deceased pets from a single cell. The text draws a parallel to the fictional concept in Jurassic Park, highlighting the intriguing yet possibly unsettling nature of animal cloning and its implications.
• 01:00 - 03:00: Meet Tom Griffith and His Cloned Dogs The chapter introduces Tom Griffith, who is mentioned in the context of cloned dogs. It seems to discuss the concept of cloning pets, highlighting a case where British author (potentially Tom Griffith) has cloned his cocker spaniels, Mabel and Myrtle, at a substantial cost of $135,000. This raises questions and discussions around the emotional and financial aspects of pet cloning.
• 03:00 - 05:00: The Cloning Process at Sooam Biotech Tom Griffith was deeply connected to his dog Daisy, who passed away in 2014. Instead of accepting her death, Tom chose to have her cloned at Sooam Biotech, a decision that might be seen as complicated or even crazy by some. This chapter explores the emotional bond between Tom and Daisy and delves into the personal motivations behind seeking cloning.
• 05:00 - 08:00: Ethical Concerns and Success Rates The chapter discusses the process and ethical concerns related to cloning pets, specifically dogs. It highlights the story of a person named Tom, who cloned his beloved dog Daisy into two new dogs, Mabel and Myrtle, using a lab in Korea. The cost of this cloning process was initially expected to be sixty-six thousand pounds, but due to currency fluctuations from Brexit, this amount likely changed. The chapter touches on the emotional connection people have with their pets and the lengths they may go to in order to preserve that bond, despite the significant financial and ethical implications.
• 08:00 - 11:00: Economic Considerations and Closing Thoughts The chapter discusses economic considerations related to pet afterlife services. Traditional options include burial and cremation, but newer alternatives like taxidermy and cloning are also explored. The example of Daisy, a dog cloned in a specialized laboratory in Seoul, is offered to illustrate these modern options.

Jurassic bark: Part one - Pet owners spending $135,000 to clone their dogs | 60 Minutes Australia Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 from the what will they think of next files hope for humans mourning the loss of long loved pets well pet dogs to be precise with just a single cell a laboratory in South Korea is now creating replicas of devoted owners departed pooches it's not quite Jurassic Park more like Jurassic Park but even still the science of cloning animals is an incredible glimpse into an exciting or creepy world there's always
• 00:30 - 01:00 a but though and in this case it's a big one would you hand over 135,000 dollars so that you'd never have to say goodbye to your favorite pet Mabel and Myrtle are a couple of very costly cocker spaniels for their owner British author
• 01:00 - 01:30 Tom Griffith on their creation was complicated some might say crazy during her when Daisy Toms beloved canine companion died in 2014 instead of letting go he decided to have her cloned Tom how would you describe the connection you had with Daisy coming back you know I've noticed real other dog lovers you some people love their
• 01:30 - 02:00 dogs you have to love your dog have a dog but there's certain dogs that you have that that they have to be special dogs and there's a bit more intelligent than the average dog and and it's just something and so Tom turned to a lab in Korea that cloned Daisy's DNA and created Mabel and Myrtle how much did it cost you well it started off it was gonna be about sixty six thousand pounds but the currency we had bricks it and the currency went crazy so
• 02:00 - 02:30 ended up being about 75 ouch that's a lot of money is a woman so after your dog passes away you can go through a traditional burial or you can go through cremation or you can go through sea attack see they're missing get your dog stuffed the other new alternative that we provide is cloning Daisy was cloned deep in the industrial heartland of Seoul at a purpose-built laboratory
• 02:30 - 03:00 called su arm biotech where replica dogs are being churned out by the kennel load Jay this room really is a scientific success story isn't it when you look at what you've got here well it's a successful story of science becoming commercialized sure jww as he likes to be called is one of su armed scientists and sometimes eccentric spokesman for the world's biggest and most profitable
• 03:00 - 03:30 dog cloning operation these ones are headed to China Hong Kong who are your clients who owns them some of them are these mega rich people but also some of them are just normal people who sometimes even go through liquidation of their asset to actually afford the cloning services yes all right so they would sell up their house to climb a dog yes but usually they usually have more than one houses I mean
• 03:30 - 04:00 it's very tight doing it I had to sell my cars and make quite a lot of sacrifices to do it we do crazy things now with our money which are inexplicable Tom's wife Beverly loves animals as much as he does but he knew she thought the idea of cloning was somewhat nuts which is why he decided to keep her in the dark about his plans for their departed
• 04:00 - 04:30 Daisy didn't tell Beverley I was doing this you see because I knew she wouldn't do you think I was crazy so I thought no that's not to tell but explaining why he wanted their dead pet refrigerated instead of buried was a little tricky even for an author so I made up some story about them the insurance they were insured I got some ice I got a tea chest big old-fashioned tea chests and I've put Daisy in the ice
• 04:30 - 05:00 you've got to put them keep them cool if his secret was hard to keep it was even harder taking the necessary flesh samples from his dead dog I remember going into the office once and just look at all this medical equipment on the desk but I thought I kept saying to him you're up to something and he said oh I don't know what you're talking about how did you react when you found out I said he's been robbed and they didn't have to wear a mask or hold a gun they said and they
• 05:00 - 05:30 didn't have to hold a gun to his head this is where Sioux arms commercial cloning production line begins creating a cloned embryo under the microscope an egg harvested from a surrogate dog has its nucleus removed in fact we created a blank yes like just a vessel yes okay in its place is inserted the DNA from the dog to be cloned usually taken from a
• 05:30 - 06:00 skin or muscle cell it's extraordinary and from this little puppy is grown in Sioux arms busy operating theater downstairs a surrogate mother is about to be implanted with the client embryos just created in the lab what you see on the monitor are 10 embryos yep now he's gonna bring in the catheter and draw up
• 06:00 - 06:30 the embryos into the catheter mm-hmm the next step is what many critics of cloning find repugnant to maximize the chance of a live birth multiple embryos sometimes up to 30 are implanted in multiple surrogates how many of these are done a day here usually maybe up to 3 to 4 it's a lot of effort and a lot of science to deliver the dream to a grieving owner a single genetic replica
• 06:30 - 07:00 of a much-loved pet I don't whether told how many dogs don't make it to birth I don't know whether they're told well you know it takes so many surrogate mother dogs to carry so many pups before you get your 1 2 at the end I would hope that if they're really dog lovers if they really got all that information and they thought about it they were then sight now I'm not gonna do this world
• 07:00 - 07:30 leading stem cell biologist and geneticist Robin Lovell badge says cloning has not only cruel but ultimately pointless while clones are genetic replicas their markings are often different to the original as are their temperaments it's a waste of money you're not going to reproduce the dog that you lost that was your favorite pet it just is not gonna happen there be much better off going to the local dog pound choosing a poor little
• 07:30 - 08:00 dog that's been maybe not looked after terribly well giving it a happy home I don't know what the right answer is no I don't I don't I don't defend what what I did because you're actually right I could have gone to the dog pound and got a stray and that would have been the right thing to do probably but as human beings we don't always do the right thing do we if we're honest but sitting here today do you feel like you did the wrong thing did that you did something ethically wrong no no not at all no no
• 08:00 - 08:30 no I did what technology allows doesn't it back in Korea this surreal genetic production line grinds on and another clone puppy comes to life depending on your viewpoint this little newborn is either a scientific marvel or a mistake
• 08:30 - 09:00 how many dogs have you climbed this I need a fact check sue armed it seems is a stickler for numbers I have to give you that number because somebody gets very upset if they don't give you that number chip yeah you say uh-huh 1117 Wow represents quite a lot of cash people spend a lot of money yes well this is
• 09:00 - 09:30 what it's all about a puppy the costs are cool one hundred and thirty five thousand dollars to make perhaps priceless in the cuteness stakes but when you put all your love hope and dollars into cloning your beloved original dog sometimes you get more than you bargained for in this case four times this little fella has three identical brothers and now his owner has to make the hard decision of what to do
• 09:30 - 10:00 with these carbon copies I don't think I've got 70 grand and the next day we've got another fog covers too and I think oh my god two puppies 140,000 pounds - we was happy but he was getting really worried I was gonna ring in say oh it's three four five and I like that we were thinking right which family members can we give the others to your friends at we intend coming up from dogs too so which creature would you like to
• 10:00 - 10:30 bring back or the one that's the biggest and most popular workhorse need the mammoth and maybe even humans your clones what just because we can do it should we do it that's next on 60 minutes hello I'm Tara brown thanks for watching to keep up with the latest from 60 minutes Australia make sure you subscribe to our channel you can also download the 9 now
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