We all know that pets are important parts of our lives (for some people, the most important), so people are willing to shell out hundreds or even thousands of dollars for everything from pet DNA kits to pet food. But some pet owners are looking to take that special bond a step further — by cloning them. A Texas-based company called Viagen Pets is the first (and only) North American firm to offer commercial cloning of dogs and cats.
It’s a bit controversial, but genetic preservation involves collecting and storing your pet’s DNA for cloning in the future — it can be stored indefinitely before cloning takes place (many owners who are iffy about cloning just start with genetic preservation). The procedure begins with a small tissue sample, typically collected by a veterinarian using a biopsy kit. This sample is then sent to the lab, where viable cells are cultured and “cryopreserved” (or frozen) for long-term storage. The cost for genetic preservation is $1,600 (USD), with an additional annual storage fee of $150.
Biopsies can be done at any age, although samples taken from a living pet are preferable. So, say, if your pet passes unexpectedly, Viagen advises contacting them right away, and immediately refrigerating (not freezing) your dog or cat’s tissue sample after death.
After genetic preservation, be prepared to shell out a ton of cash if you want to move forward with cloning. Apart from sales tax, cloning your dog or cat will cost $50,000 (paid in two equal installments), and cloning a horse will cost $85,000, also paid in two equal installments. The actual cloning process also takes some time — about eight months to clone a dog and a year to clone a cat.
As much as owners love their pets, a cloned animal isn’t an exact replica of the original pet, especially behavioural-wise. A pet delivered by cloning (via natural birth or c-section) will have the same genes as the original donor pet but can best be described as an identical twin born at a later date.
Viagen notes that cloned pets will have their own unique personalities. While the clone might inherit many traits from the original pet, the cloned pet’s experiences and environment will shape who it becomes.
“So, your pet’s clone may look just like your beloved companion, but they’ll bring their own special spark to your life!” Viagen stated in a recent Insta post.
Even with the high costs, pet cloning is becoming more popular. Viagen has reportedly conducted thousands of cloning procedures since it first opened in 2015 (the company even has a wait list). In 2018, Barbra Streisand said she used the service to clone two puppies from her late dog Samantha, who passed away in 2017. Canadians have also taken advantage of the cloning service (like this Kelowna woman, who reportedly has two clones of her cat Bear, who passed away in 2022).
Still, animal welfare activists have warned that the cloning process can typically require impregnating multiple dogs to produce a single clone, leading to many stressful pregnancies, miscarriages, and dead clones. Some studies even suggest that dog cloning only has a 20 per cent success rate. The solution, they believe, is to simply adopt an animal in need (even now, shelters are still dealing with post-pandemic pet surrenders as people head back to the office, this after a surge in demand for pets during COVID lockdowns).
If you’re interested in cloning your pet or are simple curious about the topic, visit Viagen for more info.