Celebrities are cloning their pets, but does it work? It’s good ?

It is therefore not surprising that with the advent of cloning technologies, an increasing number of people are exploring the possibility of creating copies of their beloved pets.

The birth of Dolly the sheep in 1997 marked a major advance in our ability to successfully clone mammals. Since then, cloning has become big business – and celebrities such as former American football player Tom Brady and actress Barbara Streist have reportedly cloned their pet dogs. This has left many pet owners wondering if their beloved pets could also be immortalized.

Creating copies of special pets can be a way to keep the deep connection between person and animal alive, especially since loss can be devastating. But is cloning our pets a good idea? In addition to being expensive, cloning poses potential risks to the health and well-being of the clones. There is also a high probability that your cloned pet will be completely different from the original – in terms of personality, behavior and appearance.

The African clawed frog was the first vertebrate cloned in the early 1960s. Since then, several species, including mice, ferrets, sheep, horses, dogs, cattle and cats, have been successfully cloned.

The basic principle of cloning is to create an exact genetic replica of an organism. Just as identical twins have the same genetic profile, animal clones are genetically identical to the “parent” animal from which the genetic material is obtained.

The process of animal cloning is called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SNC). Genetic material is removed from the nucleus of an individual cell, which is then transferred into an egg cell that has had its nucleus removed. Under the right conditions, this egg can develop into a new organism: the clone. For pet clones, the treated egg must be transferred to a recipient female, who will carry and give birth to the fully developed clone.

Although biologists have been experimenting with cloning various animals for over a century, results have been slow. Even today, animal cloning has a success rate of only about 16%.

But while we might think that cloning our beloved pets would mean having an identical copy of them, cloning doesn’t work exactly like that.

Yes, the clones will be genetically identical, but the behavior of an individual animal cannot be replicated. While certain animal breeds may share common characteristics, their personality also results from their life experiences and exposure to the environment. All of this has an impact on how genes work.

Therefore, unless you can create exactly the same maternal influences, upbringing, routines and living conditions for your cloned pet, it is unlikely that your cloned pet will behave in exactly the same way as your original pet.

Even the physical appearance of cloned animals may differ from that of the original genetic donor. This is due to the way genes are expressed. This means that the coat color of a clone may be different from that of the “parent”. For example, the genetic donor of the first cloned cat, “CC,” was a tricolor cat, but the clone had brown fur.

The Ethics of Pet Cloning

Pet cloning also raises important ethical considerations. Our pets cannot consent to having their genetic material harvested before or after their death to produce clones.

If tissue samples are taken from a living animal for possible future cloning, this may be associated with pain and suffering, as well as the financial burden of monthly storage fees for cryopreserved samples.

While cloning can be useful for supporting conservation efforts for endangered species and for agricultural production of economically valuable animals, the same is not true for our pets.

The TNCS process involves collecting eggs from females, which can be invasive, involving hormonal treatment and surgery. Even pregnancy and childbirth can be problematic for surrogate mothers, with miscarriages, birth defects and loss of offspring being relatively common – although this is also seen in natural reproduction. The care and well-being of egg donors and surrogates must also be carefully considered throughout the cloning process.

Cloned animals also present potential health problems. One study suggested that 48% of cloned piglets died within the first month of life and that cloned cattle showed musculoskeletal problems, including lameness and tendon problems.

Some early evidence also suggested that clones had an increased risk of early osteoarthritis, but more recent studies suggest that this may not be true. As clones become more numerous, our understanding of their health will improve – but for now, there is still a lot we don’t know.

If your pet suffers from genetic diseases or is at increased risk of disease due to its genetics, the clones will also inherit these characteristics. This means that any decision regarding cloning must be carefully considered, keeping in mind the long-term welfare of the animal.

Cost is also a major concern: cloning typically costs more than $50,000 (£37,836). It’s easy to see how this money could be used to benefit the general pet population, including those in shelters who are desperate for a loving home.

In the UK, cloning of pets is not permitted commercially and is considered a form of animal experimentation. However, the process can be started by collecting tissue samples from the donor animal and then continued with the support of foreign laboratories, if your budget allows.

Our pets are important members of our families. Cloning may at first glance seem like the ideal way to keep them in our lives longer. But with the challenges and potential concerns associated with the process, we are better off spending time, money and emotional energy making their stay with us as happy and memorable as possible. This is often the best legacy of a beloved pet.

*Jacqueline Boyd is Senior Lecturer in Animal Sciences at Nottingham Trent University