Barbra Streisand Explains Why She Cloned Her Dog Samantha

Barbra Streisand recently explained why she decided to clone her dog, Samantha.

The curly-haired Coton du Tulear dog passed away last year, and the award-winning singer had her for 14 years. In her op-ed piece for the New York Times, Streisand explained why it was important for her to keep Samantha in some way.

“It was easier to let Sammie go if I knew I could keep some part of her alive, something that came from her DNA. One of the reasons I chose cloning was because I couldn’t find any other curly-haired Coton,” she wrote.

Before Samantha died, Streisand took her to the clinic and had some cells taken from her stomach and mouth. “We sent those cells to ViaGen Pets in Texas. We weren’t even sure if the cells would take. A friend had cloned his beloved dog, and I was very impressed with that dog,” she revealed.

While waiting for the result of the cell test, Streisand decided to adopt two dogs to fill in Samantha’s absence. While taking care of the two dogs, she got a call from the veterinarian and learned that the cloning process was a success. They managed to clone four puppies.

One of the dogs died, but three of them survived. Streisand found herself with five dogs at home, which she felt was just too much. “It’s a bit overwhelming. But we love them so much. Each puppy is unique and has her own personality… You can clone the look of a dog, but you can’t clone the soul. Still, every time I look at their faces, I think of my Samantha and smile,” she concluded.

Streisand decided to give away one of the two dogs she previously adopted to her manager. And she also gave away one of the clones. The “Woman in Love” singer currently has three dogs at home.