Spend $22,000 to clone dead pet

A woman surnamed Xu in Hangzhou, China, bought a Doberman in 2011 and named him Joker. To her, this is a loyal and brave companion, bringing an irreplaceable sense of security.

In November 2022, Joker died, causing Xu to suffer both a physical and mental health crisis. She suffered from insomnia, a weakened immune system, and frequent illness. "He was my best friend, witnessing more than a decade of my life, from my studies to my career," she said.

She decided to clone Joker at a cost of 160,000 yuan ($22,000).

Technicians took a skin sample, combined it with an egg cell from another dog to create an embryo, then implanted it into a surrogate to create a clone. The cloned animal resembled Joker in appearance, personality, and other characteristics like a twin. It also had no health problems or premature aging, and had a normal lifespan.

Before the Lunar New Year 2024, Xu received a copy of Joker from this facility and named it Little Joker.

During his time with Little Joker, Xu noticed many similarities with the original. Their appearances were almost identical, with a black spot near their noses. Little Joker also liked to steal socks, drank water, and had a docile, gentle temperament similar to Joker.

However, she realized that Little Joker could not fill the void left by the original. "I gradually understood that cloning is not resurrection," she said. Although she tried to convince herself that her dog had only lost his memory, the truth did not change. Xu still carried a notebook full of Joker's photos because she missed him so much.

Now, she doesn't see Little Joker as a replacement, but as a complete, independent individual.

She said that due to her lack of experience, she had many regrets when taking care of Joker. The appearance of Little Joker gave Xu a second chance to love and care for it more fully.