The promise is simple: your pet can live as long as you. Or, at least, a version of your pet thanks to the largest commercial pet cloning company who is remaking thousands of dogs, cats and even horses. Apparently, there are specific rules to consider if you’re in the market for this pet cloning service. They need a piece of the pet’s ear, it must be harvested within five days and you’ll need to refrigerate (not freeze) the sample before providing it. Oh, and the service costs upwards of $50,000.
The biggest problem, other than ethical considerations which aren’t really mentioned in the article, is that people expect the cloned pet to be the same and actually recognize them when it’s born (grown?). As an unnamed customer service rep for the company told WIRED magazine:
“I try to prepare them not to expect the same dog all over again. They are genetically linked—and that includes temperament and intelligence and parts of the personality—but the new pet is going to have different experiences. The dog’s not going to know who you are right off the bat.”
I’m lucky that our family dog is still quite young, but I’m not sure I would do this even if the price came down to a more reasonable number. If you have a pet, and particularly if you had one that passed away, would you consider this service?
