I should preface this piece by saying I genuinely understand where she is coming from. I just lost my fur baby a couple of weeks ago, and the grief is profound. If you are a dog person, you understand, particularly when the beloved pet has been with you for quite some time. One woman could not handle the thought of no longer having her dog by her side, so she clawed at any opportunity to have a piece of him still with her - including cloning him. However, as some time went on, the woman admitted that her decision to clone her late dog was a crazy one.
Woman Decides To Clone Her Late Dog
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PEOPLE shares the story of Venessa Johnson and her beloved dog Oliver. The 17-year-old Shih Tzu had an aggressive form of cancer. Despite his two-year battle, and Johnson spending thousands of dollars on his recovery, he passed away in her arms. She was overwhelmed with grief. When speaking to the outlet, she stated, "Oliver was everything to me. I've been single for a very long time, so Oliver has been my main focus."
Her grief over losing him consumed her life. She admitted that she couldn't function. She was unable to work, eat, or sleep, and eventually she moved back in with her parents. Johnson began searching for resources on pet grief to help her heal. However, that is when she stumbled into uncharted territory - animal cloning.
She told PEOPLE, "In that moment, the idea of having a piece of [Oliver] live felt like a lifeline. Cloning gave me hope - it gave me something to hold onto when I felt like I was drowning." Fueled by her grief, the woman decided to clone her late dog. However, as time went by and after spending $50,000 on the process, she began to realize the severity of her decision.
Looking Back, She Admits It Was Crazy
Now that it has been almost 11 months since her beloved Oliver passed, Johson admits what a crazy idea it was to clone her dog. "Now, almost 11 months later and with a clearer mind, I know it's not Oliver coming back to me," she stated. "It's a piece of him, but it's not him," she told PEOPLE. "Had I waited and grieved properly, I absolutely would not have made this decision."
In addition to her mixed personal feelings, Johnson has received a lot of backlash for her choice online. Many people argued that it was wasteful to spend so much money to clone her dog when there are thousands in desperate need of a home. As a lifelong advocate and animal rescuer herself, Johnson does not dispute their claims.
"I completely understand that criticism, and honestly, I agree with it," she told the outlet.
