Should i clone my dog

Two: Clones are not exact copies. Tiny differences in maternal hormone levels while the animal is in the womb can have significant impacts on adult personality and appearance. It might not even be temperamentally suited to learn them. When it comes down to it, you may find yourself spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on an animal that is no more similar to your original pet than a rescue from the local SPCA. Which brings up the biggest ethical dilemma to cloning: There are literally thousands of unwanted animals packing the confines of every shelter in America.

Many of these creatures are perfectly healthy and even well-adjusted individuals that just need a chance at a normal life. With such a surplus of pets in the world, why would we invest so much in creating a copy of one that already lived and died? One could argue that producing a copy of an individual cheapens the value of the unique bond we once had. Plus, we are home to Virginia's most exclusive dog boarding resort that includes heated floors, an expansive play area, and even webcams so you can watch your pet while you're away.

We're located in Fishersville, Virginia, and serve Augusta County and surrounding areas including Waynesboro, Staunton, Harrisonburg, and Charlottesville. See More See Less. To start the preservation, a veterinarian took a tissue biopsy. The samples were placed into containers with a liquid. Baby passed away of natural causes soon after her cells were preserved. Karitas spent another year and a half researching before deciding to go ahead with cloning.

Milutinovich then performed an operation to implant the embryo into the reproductive tract of a surrogate dog to carry out the pregnancy. It often takes many tries for a healthy puppy to be born. It took two tries to clone Baby. Karitas brought her home at 8 weeks old. Karitas researched cloning for another year and a half.

Then she decided to go ahead with it. He would use them to create an embryo —a living thing in the earliest stages of development.

To do this, he used eggs taken from another female dog during surgery. Milutinovich then did surgery on another dog. He placed the embryo into her reproductive tract to carry out the pregnancy. A veterinarian collects tissue biopsies from a dog.

Cells from the tissue samples are grown in a nutrient-rich medium in a lab. A fine needle is inserted into the cell to remove the glowing DNA. A cell from the original donor dog is inserted into the egg cell. An electric pulse fuses the two cells together and another pulse starts cell division. Once the egg begins to divide, the embryo is transferred into the reproductive tract of a different surrogate dog. If the pregnancy is successful, the puppy is born in about two months.

The puppy will be genetically identical to the original dog, but it may or may not look identical. If this technology can make someone so incredibly happy, why is there debate surrounding it? Some might argue that people gain an enormous benefit by having the opportunity to reconnect with an animal identical to one they once loved so dearly. However, there is a chance that those who pay the high price to re-form this bond could end up disappointed.

The way units of hereditary material, called genes , function can vary—even between animals with identical sets of genes. Environmental factors can also have a great effect on how an organism develops both its physical attributes and temperament. If cloning can make someone so happy, why is there debate about it? Robert Klitzman is the director of bioethics —the ethics of medical and biological research—at Columbia University in New York City. Some might argue that people gain a huge benefit.

They get the chance to reconnect with an animal just like the one they once loved so dearly. But after people pay the high price to re-form this bond, they could end up disappointed.

Indeed, many dogs become a member of the family. At ViaGen Pets, many of us are loving dog owners ourselves and we understand intimately the nature of these relationships.

ViaGen is a world leader in animal cloning. Our scientists have been developing successful animal cloning and reproductive technology for over 15 years. Our parent company, TransOva Genetics, was started by a small group of veterinary scientists and has been developing the science behind these practices for over 30 years.

We have produced thousands of happy, healthy cloned cows and hundreds of cloned horses, among other animals. The same practices and expertise that underlie these successes are now being brought to dog cloning through ViaGen Pets.

Our vision at ViaGen Pets is to continue to develop and grow the science so that dog cloning is available to all dog owners. Pierce also tells a story of how a cloning service once asked to partner with a pet palliative care organization she services on the board of they declined , illuminating a marketing tactic that preys on pet owners' devastation at the thought of losing their fluffy friend.

To top it all off, we don't even know how long cloned pets will live. Older DNA can develop all sorts of problems that may shorten an animal's life. The final question here is about suffering, and it's twofold. Why cause unnecessary suffering in animals just to play out your fantasy of never having to say goodbye to your pet?

And why neglect the suffering of unwanted animals all over the world that could easily be wonderful companions? Now, there is at least one instance in which cloning animals could truly help humankind, although it takes none of the risks away from animals, and that's in scientific research where new drugs, for example, need to be tested in a stable population. But even if we do clone animals for this reason, we need to explore avenues that involve the least amount of suffering.

Despite these issues, there are currently no regulations in place anywhere to deal with this technology or even ensure that it's being done as humanely as possible; and there's been very little public debate as the technology has further developed though the FDA did solicit and receive tens of thousands of comments on the technology about 10 years ago.

And while it may not move you to consider the plight of cats and dogs in pet cloning, the technology does bring us closer to normalizing not just cloning but genomic manipulation for other species as well, including humans. This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here. More From Forbes. Nov 11, , am EST.