Because we CAN do all manner of things in genetic engineering, is it a good idea to believe that the question of SHOULD doesnt arise? And what are we letting ourselves in for with the unchecked spread of GMOs through the food supply? * * * * * Labradoodle creator regrets bringing about Frankenstein crossbreed From THE TIMES, reproduced in THE AUSTRALIAN, Feb 12 theaustralian.au/news/world/labradoodle-creator-regrets-bringing-about-frankenstein-crossbreed/story-fnb64oi6-1226823490450 THE man who sparked a designer dog craze by creating the labradoodle now believes he made a terrible mistake in bringing his Frankenstein crossbreed into being. Wally Conron, 85, crossed a labrador retriever and a standard poodle in the late 1980s in an effort to help a blind woman. She needed a guide dog, but her husband was allergic to dog hairs. The poodle DNA conferred a low-shedding coat and countered the allergy problem. The labradoodles docility, intelligence and soppy good looks quickly attracted a celebrity crowd. New owners include the actress Jennifer Aniston, the US Vice-President Joe Biden, the musician Neil Young, and the Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson. Labradoodles can now be found from California to Kent - but Mr Conron believes he has opened a Pandoras box. He said: Ive done a lot of damage. Ive created a lot of problems. The new breed can be prone to the congenital problems of both elements of the crossbreeding, including eye disorders and malformed hip joints. They also suffer from Addisons disease, in which a malfunctioning pituitary gland renders a dog unable to manage stress, or digest food properly. Online forums are strewn with complaints from exasperated owners. Mine is completely insane and thick as a plank, said one. According to Mr Conron, horrific puppy mills are producing endless litters of unstable dogs that go unwanted and must be put down. Instead of breeding out the problems, theyre breeding them in, he said. For every perfect one, youre going to find a lot of crazy ones. There are a lot of unhealthy and abandoned dogs out there. When he created the crossbreed, demand was muted until he hit upon a nifty bit of branding. We came up with the name labradoodle, he said. All of a sudden people wanted this wonder dog. Other crossbreeds followed, including the cockatoo (a cross between a cocker spaniel and a poodle) and the golli (golden retriever-collie). People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) has praised Mr Conron for speaking out to stop the loss of lives that his invention has created. Daphna Nachminovitch, senior vice-president, said: Breeding designer dogs for exaggerated physical characteristics such as flat faces or sloping hips can cause them severe health problems. The kindest thing that anyone can do for dogs is to adopt them from a shelter - and make sure that they are spayed or neutered.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Feb 2014 00:02:11 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015