As a psychologist, I wonder about the possibility that there is something about cloning that seems to cast a negative pallor on attempts to keep a dog with certain desired characteristics. Perhaps all of those science fiction movies involving clones being used for evil is responsible for our feelings that there is something immoral about the process. If Samantha had been bred normally it would have been an alternative way to pass on her genes and her offspring would have had many of her characteristics (although they would not be a perfect match to their mother). If Streisand had kept two pups from a litter conceived by Samantha I doubt that she would have been criticized, even though at some level that might also be viewed as another way to keep her pet’s essence alive by making sure that her DNA survives. Of course, the puppies would not be Samantha, just her children, however, her clones are not Samantha, just her twins.
Barbra Streisand seems to recognize these facts. She summarized her feelings when she explained to the New York Times “You can clone the look of the dog, but you can’t clone the soul. Still, every time I look at their faces, I think of my Samantha… and smile.”