Woman mourns dead dog: what she then decides to do is unimaginable for most people

Hangzhou (China) - For most owners, the death of a dog is like losing a beloved family member. A woman from China was also in deep mourning after her Doberman passed away following a serious illness. As she could hardly bear the loss of her four-legged friend, her mistress spent a great deal of money and decided to take a drastic step that would be unimaginable for most people.

The woman with the surname Xu from Hangzhou bought a Doberman in 2011, which she named Joker. The two quickly developed such a deep bond that Xu could no longer imagine life without him.

As a single woman, the dog gave her an "irreplaceable sense of security", she explains according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

When the animal was nine years old, doctors discovered a sarcoma in the Doberman's neck. Fortunately, the malignant tumor was removed during an operation. According to his owner, Joker "bravely endured" the operation and the pain.

The next shock diagnosis came a year later: Joker's heart suddenly started to have problems and he was constantly suffering from coughing, twitching and wheezing. Xu and her four-legged friend soon became regulars at the veterinary clinic, which they visited every two weeks for treatment.

But at some point, even the doctors could no longer help - the Doberman died of a heart attack in November 2022. "Joker was my best friend. He lived through a decade of my life, from my studies to my career," says Xu sadly.

After his death, she felt worse and worse. The Chinese woman suffered from a weakened immune system, was constantly ill and could no longer sleep properly.

At some point, she felt the only solution was to bring her beloved Joker back - no matter what!

Xu decided to have her deceased dog cloned. After his death, a piece of skin was removed from his stomach and ear tips, which was then combined with the egg cell of another animal. This in turn was used to create an embryo, which was then implanted in a surrogate mother, who then gave birth to the clone. Cost: 160,000 yuan (equivalent to around 20,200 euros).

Xu was then allowed to collect her clone on Chinese New Year in 2024. She named the puppy, which looks strikingly similar to her deceased dog, "Little Joker". The copy of the Doberman even had the same striking spot on its nose as its predecessor.

Xu also recognized many similarities in behaviour. Just like Joker, the clone puppy liked to steal socks, drank water in the same way and also had a gentle character.

Nevertheless, Xu realized that the puppy was no substitute for her former dog friend. However, "Little Joker" would have helped her get over the pain.

The incident received mixed reactions online. While some users can understand why the Chinese woman made the crass decision, others are of the opinion that cloning is a very "human-centered" way of dealing with grief. Others are also concerned about the surrogate mother, who is apparently only being used for such purposes.