With their playful energy and cheery demeanor, winery dogs are a trip highlight for many visiting wine country. And for the folks at Flambeaux Wine in Sonoma, their furry friend was such an integral part of the experience that they were willing to shell out some serious cash to keep the magic alive.
Stella, Flambeaux’s fluffy white Maremma Sheepdog, is considered an icon of the community among locals and tourists alike. She holds an important role at the winery, guarding the grapes and keeping pests out. But after 10 years on the job, Stella isn’t as quick as she used to be, and Flambeaux had to consider what operations might look like without her.
One obvious option would be to get another dog, but the winery is so connected to Stella that it instead decided to invest in cloning her. Yes, Flambeaux spent a whopping $50,000 to create a genetic clone of Stella with the company ViaGen Pets. The process took about five months, including gestation and nursing. The result? An adorable puppy named Mella, Stella’s genetically identical mini-me.
Right now Stella and Mella both happily coexist at the Flambeaux winery, and Stella is even training Mella on how to protect the vines. But while the dogs might be genetic clones, their personalities could not be more different. The winery commented that while Stella has always been more stoic and serious, Mella is more playful.
Mella might be the world’s first cloned winery dog, but the practice of cloning pets has been gaining traction. The first mammal to be cloned was Dolly the sheep in 1996 and since then companies like ViaGen Pets have since streamlined the process, but there are still several ethical considerations that factor into a decision like this. The “adopt don’t shop” campaign might need an amendment.
For now, vineyard visitors in Sonoma can rest assured that the beloved Stella will live on in the form of Mella even when Stella herself is no longer with us.
