The Dogs Trust is another animal welfare group which has criticised the cloning of dogs, branding it unnecessary and saying it should not be offered as a prize in a competition.

"We accept that owners considering cloning are often committed dog lovers, but we cannot condone such expensive processes to produce just one dog when major animal welfare charities are heavily committed to structured and expensive neutering programmes to prevent many thousands of healthy stray or abandoned dogs being killed each year," said a Dogs Trust spokesperson.

"We are also concerned that the owner of a cloned dog may have unrealistic expectations. The cloned dog is unlikely to be an accurate mirror image of the donor in temperament and behaviour which may well to disappointment and a risk of abuse to or abandonment of the dog."

For information about the Dogs Trust visit www.dogstrust.org.uk