Barbra Streisand On Why She Cloned Her Dog: 'I Was So Devastated'
Barbra Streisand is so devastated by the passing of Samantha, her dog of 14 years, that she decided to get a cloned pet, the singer confirms in a recent interview.
In an interview with Variety, Streisand said she wanted to keep a memory of her dog, who she fondly calls Sammie, so in part she could keep it alive.
"So Sammie's doctor took some cells from inside her cheek and the skin on her tummy just before she died," the 75-year-old singer-songwriter recalled.
She added that the deceased dog's DNA cells were sent to ViaGen Pets in Texas, where it was determined whether the sample is enough to make a clone.
Streisand said she took the inspiration to clone her pet after a friend also availed of the same process, and the results were impressive.
Sammie's Band Of Brothers
While waiting for the laboratory results, Streisand adopted a Maltese-Poodle rescue dog, which she named Sadie. Afterward, Sammie's breeder reached out to her on a possibility of adopting another dog.
"I know how upset you are. If you're interested, I have this little puppy, the only one in the litter, and her mother's name is Funny Girl," Streisand said.
When the results of the DNA laboratory become available, Streisand had to re-home Sadie and one of the cloned puppies to two of her close friends. Currently, Miss Fanny is joined by two cloned dogs named Miss Violet and Miss Scarlett.
While all of her current dogs help in easing the pain of losing Sammie, the Oscar recipient admitted it does not prevent her from missing her long-time companion.
"You can clone the look of a dog, but you can't clone the soul," Streisand revealed. "Still, every time I look at their faces, I think of my Samantha."
Journey To Cloning
Animal cloning in the United States has been in practice for a decade now, although its services require at least $100,000 for the entire process.
The initial price of cloning starts at $25,000, which can be paid in two installments, according to ViaGen Pets website. Price is subject to change depending on the pet's age and breed and if it is a cat or a dog. Genetic preservation, on the one hand, costs $1,600.
Author of a book on dog cloning John Woestendiek explained in an interview with Scientific American the requirements of the process.
"Cloners will need to harvest egg cells from dogs in heat—maybe a dozen or so," Woestendiek said. "After zapping the merged cells with electricity so they start dividing, they'll need surrogate mother dogs, to carry the puppies to birth," he added.
While fans are largely sympathetic to the cloning of Streisand's dog, many pro-animal advocates say that pets are meant to die. Humane Society opposes cloning of animals due to welfare concerns and pets have already become a profitable business.
