NYT: How Much Is That Gene-Edited Dog in the Window?
New technologies such as CRISPR are changing what is possible. An August 31, 2026 New York Times article titled “How Much Is That Gene-Edited Dog in the Window?” by Emily Anthes highlights research done at Kindred Companion Sciences, a biotech based in New York. One genetic change through CRISPR technology has produced two beagles that appear to be hypoallergenic—an amazing breakthrough if the company is able to validate it long-term.
And Kindred Companion Sciences may have solved a problem for Matt Walker, co-founder and chief executive of the company. His severe dog allergy meant that he could not tolerate even the existing hypoallergenic dogs such as poodles. After knocking out one gene, Can f 1, the resulting genome was implanted into dog embryos—resulting in two puppies that are now almost 2 years old and show no signs that the genetic manipulation has caused any harm, and importantly, don’t make Walker break out in hives.
Yet the author raises a valid point in her article. All the years of selective breeding has produced dogs from the tiniest of teacup chihuahuas to the greatest of Great Danes. But by pursuing certain desirable traits, breeders have also engendered compromising extreme physical traits and inherited diseases that are harmful to the beloved species. Will gene-editing cause harm, and do we have the right to further change a species in this way to conform to our wishes?
As with many technologies, the question arises—where do we draw the line? Do we need more dogs, or should we do a better job of caring for the ones that already exist, especially those that are crowding the shelters? But, as Walker points out, people like him can’t adopt a shelter dog, or even have a service dog due to allergies. So, he feels the approach is justified, “as long as animal health is protected.”
Perhaps that is the right way to approach any changes we want to make to our companion animals—do no harm, with whatever method we use.
CRISPR image credit: Ernesto del Aguila III, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health
Dog image credit: Sandra Porter, Digital World Biology