Peanut
A keepsake by definition is “a small item kept in memory of the person who gave it or originally owned it”. For owner Denise Westervelt her keepsake was her dog Peanut’s DNA. She and Peanut were true soulmates, with an unbreakable bond. When Peanut passed away Denise wanted to have a piece of him still with her, and so she turned to cloning.
Peanut was a beautiful Chihuahua, which Denise had gotten when he was just 12 weeks old. Receiving her cloned puppies at 12 weeks old brought back a flood of emotions for Denise, and it felt like Deja vu to see him again. These two puppies not only looked identical to her beloved Peanut, but they also act like him. Peanut was a territorial puppy, and these pups started showing signs of marking their turf at only 6 weeks old by kicking up the grass with their back legs. The puppies shake their head at her the same way, sleep the same exact way, have the same excited trot, and love their bellies rubbed- just like him. Overall Denise notes that their expressions, mannerisms, reactions, and intelligence are all spot on. When the pups gaze into her eyes, she sees the same stare that Peanut would give her. The puppies have the same bedtime routine that Peanut had, and they seemed to already know it. The first night she brought them home they wouldn’t stop crying until she let them into her bed, where they slept up by her neck- just like Peanut did. Denise says these puppies are identical, from their scent down to their paws- each puppy has one curved nail like Peanut did.
Clones of Peanut
Cloned Peanut puppies
Denise’s experience with ViaGen was such a happy experience, and she would definitely do it again. Her favorite part of the process was knowing she would get a piece of Peanut back. She strongly recommends this to someone on the fence about going through with the cloning process. While there are critics, her advise is to shrug off the negative and focus on the goal of getting your soulmate back. While the puppies won’t replace Peanut, they do help bring comfort by having a piece of him with her at all times.
Peanut 1
Peanut 2
For information on storing your pet’s DNA click here. Genetic Preservation is a great way to ensure the future of your animal. By storing the DNA now, you can decide when you would like to clone.
By: Emily