Chinese Woman Spends ₹19 Lakh to Clone Late Dog, Renewing Interest in Pet Cloning

Xu, from Hangzhou, cloned her Doberman using a skin sample, highlighting advancements and ethical concerns in China's pet cloning industry.

Xu, a woman from Hangzhou, China, cloned her deceased Doberman, Joker, for ₹19 lakh (160,000 yuan) after his death in 2022 deeply impacted her mental and physical health.
Joker, who had been Xu's loyal companion for over a decade, died of a heart attack at age 11 after battling malignant sarcoma and heart issues.
The cloning process involved taking skin samples from Joker's abdomen and ears, creating an embryo, and implanting it in a surrogate mother, resulting in a successful clone named Little Joker.
Little Joker shares a striking resemblance with Joker, including identical physical markings and similar behaviors, offering Xu emotional relief though she acknowledges the new dog cannot replace Joker.
The story has drawn attention to China's pet cloning practices, which are legal but must adhere to ethical guidelines, sparking discussions about the welfare of surrogate animals and the emotional motivations behind cloning.