November 1st 2024.
Dominika and Ian were heartbroken by the loss of their beloved puppy, Bijoux. It was a tragedy that left them feeling devastated and at a loss. They couldn't imagine life without their furry companion and were struggling to come to terms with her sudden absence.
Bijoux, a chow chow/husky mix, had escaped from their garden in Bournemouth and was hit by a car on June 29. The driver did not stop or call the police, which was against the law. A kind stranger took Bijoux to a nearby vet, but it was too late. The couple was left with unanswered questions and a sense of injustice. They felt that the driver should be held accountable for their actions.
As they grieved for Bijoux, Dominika, a private jet broker, couldn't bear the thought of saying goodbye. She explored different options, like preserving or stuffing Bijoux's body, but ultimately decided that she wanted to bring her back to life through cloning. This would not only give her another chance at life, but also allow Dominika and Ian to have their beloved pet with them once again.
The couple had already paid £2,500 to extract and store Bijoux's DNA, and were now planning to spend nearly £40,000 to clone her. It was a hefty sum, but they were determined to give their puppy a second chance at life. They had chosen an American company, Gemini Genetics, which charged around $50,000 for cloning a dog. The process would take about nine months, and the surrogate dog would carry five or six puppies who would all be clones of Bijoux.
Once the puppies were born, Dominika and Ian would have to wait for about 15 weeks for their puppy to receive its vaccinations before bringing her home. While it was illegal to clone pets in the UK, it was legal to bring the clone over from the US. The couple was willing to go through all of this to have their beloved Bijoux back in their lives.
The loss of Bijoux was like losing a daughter for Dominika. She compared it to the pain of losing a family member and couldn't imagine never seeing her again. She wanted to hold onto the hope that cloning offered, even though she knew the clone would not be exactly the same as Bijoux. It was a way to bring her back to life and give her the full life she deserved.
Dominika and Ian fondly remembered the day Bijoux was killed. They were watching a movie with a friend while Bijoux and their other puppy, Saphir, played in the garden. When Saphir wanted to come back inside, Dominika went to get him and called for Bijoux, but she didn't respond. They didn't think much of it at the time, but when they went back out to the garden after the movie, Bijoux was nowhere to be found. They later discovered a fox hole underneath a dense laurel bush against their fence, which they believe Bijoux must have escaped through while chasing a fox or other animal.
The couple was frustrated that they didn't get closure over Bijoux's death. They were unable to talk to the person who hit her, as they refused to come forward and give them answers. They just wanted to understand what had happened and be with Bijoux in their thoughts.
Dominika and Ian were also calling on all drivers to be aware of their legal duty to stop at the scene and call the police if they hit a dog. They were joined by the animal welfare charity, Blue Cross, who launched the Blue Cross Code. Their research found that the majority of UK drivers would break the law if they hit a dog, with only a small percentage saying they would stop and call the police. The couple believed that if the driver had followed the law, Bijoux might still be alive.
In the end, Dominika and Ian were willing to do whatever it took to have their beloved puppy back with them. The cost was high, but to them, it was worth it to give Bijoux a second chance at life. They hoped that their story would raise awareness and prevent other pet owners from going through the same heartache.
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