Should You Clone Your Pet?

To David and Alicia Tschirhart, their dog Marley was more than a beloved pet. He was also a lifesaver. In 2014, the couple were hiking with Marley near their home in California. Suddenly, Marley started clawing the ground. A rattlesnake was near Alicia’s hand! Marley scared away the snake, possibly saving Alicia’s life.

Sadly, the 12-year-old Labrador retriever died four months later. David and Alicia were devastated. But then David learned about ViaGen, a company in Texas that clones animals. Cloning is the process of making a living copy of a plant or an animal. ViaGen charges $50,000 to clone a dog! To the Tschirharts, the cost was worth it. They welcomed Marley’s clone, Ziggy, into their family last year.

But many people think it’s not right to clone pets. Here are two views about cloning animals.

To David and Alicia Tschirhart, their dog Marley was more than a beloved pet. He was also a lifesaver. In 2014, the couple were hiking with Marley in California. Suddenly, Marley started clawing the ground. A rattlesnake was near Alicia’s hand! Marley scared away the snake. He possibly saved Alicia’s life.

Sadly, the 12-year-old dog died four months later. David and Alicia were sad. But then David learned about ViaGen. That’s a company in Texas that clones animals. Cloning is the process of making a living copy of a plant or an animal. ViaGen charges $50,000 to clone a dog! To David and Alicia, the cost was worth it. They welcomed Marley’s clone, Ziggy, into their family last year.

But many people think it’s not right to clone pets. Here are two views about cloning animals.

Cloning allows families to honor their beloved pets.

Scientists created the first mammal clone, a sheep named Dolly, in 1996. Since then, other types of animals have been cloned, for many reasons. Researchers use clones of mice and other animals to study human diseases and search for cures. Some farmers have cloned cows that produce more milk than others.

For pet owners, cloning can be a way to ease the grief of losing a favorite cat or dog.

“Happy tears from both the owner and our staff are common,” says Dennis Milutinovich, who works at ViaGen.

David Tschirhart says cloning Marley helped him honor his trusted dog’s memory.

“I’m so excited and happy about the fact that my daughters will be able to grow up with basically a twin of Marley,” he says.

Cloning allows families to honor their beloved pets.

Scientists created the first mammal clone in 1996. It was a sheep named Dolly. Since then, other types of animals have been cloned. There are many reasons. Researchers use clones of mice and other animals to study human diseases and search for cures. Some farmers clone cows that produce more milk than others.

For pet owners, cloning can be a way to ease the grief of losing a favorite cat or dog.

“Happy tears from both the owner and our staff are common,” says Dennis Milutinovich. He works at ViaGen.

David Tschirhart says cloning Marley helped him honor his trusted dog’s memory.

“I’m so excited and happy about the fact that my daughters will be able to grow up with basically a twin of Marley,” he says.

Why choose such an expensive option when so many animals need homes?

Cloning is a complicated process that involves more than just the animal being cloned. It can be stressful for those other animals, says Jessica Pierce. She is a professor at the University of Colorado, Denver. Cloning a dog that has died requires mixing a cell from that dog with a cell taken from a living dog. Together, those cells make an embryo. The embryos often don’t grow well, so the scientists need to start over again.

Also, a cloned pet may look like the original, but it might not have the same personality. Even if the original dog was friendly, the clone might bark at everyone it sees.

Pierce thinks it’s wrong to spend thousands of dollars to clone a pet when you can adopt one from a shelter. “There are so many wonderful dogs and cats who need a family,” she says.

Why choose such an expensive option when so many animals need homes?

Cloning is not a simple process. It involves more than just the animal being cloned. It can be stressful for those other animals, says Jessica Pierce. She is a professor at the University of Colorado, Denver. Cloning a dog that has died requires mixing a cell from that dog with a cell taken from a living dog. Together, those cells make an embryo. The embryos often don’t grow well. So the scientists need to start over again.

Cloned pets often look like the original. But they might not have the same personality. Even if the original dog was friendly, the clone might bark at everyone it sees.

Pierce thinks it’s wrong to spend thousands of dollars to clone a pet when you can adopt one from a shelter. “There are so many wonderful dogs and cats who need a family,” she says.