People are tittering about a dog accused of plastic surgery. NYT coverage notes that “Dog shows, not unlike Miss Universe contests or episodes of ‘Are You Hot?,’ are little more than genetic trade fairs.” Their point is that surgically altering an animal to disguise its genetic value is unethical, and that’s true. The article touches on the ethical issues brought up by ultra-typing and the risks of genetic defects. Is it ethical to manipulate the genes this way? And, are these ultra-typed animals healthy? What if you alter the genes directly rather than by breeding?
Secretly Ironic 