Cloning by Numbers
Pet cloning is an inaccurate science. The technology is not advanced enough for commercial ventures, and the cloning process is not regulated as it should be. Cloning companies are not required to report information such as success or failure rates and living conditions, and the United States Department of Agriculture does hold the cloning process to the same standards as other industries. According to the department's website, the Animal Welfare Act "authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to regulate transport, sale, and handling of dogs, cats, nonhuman primates, guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits intended to be used in research or 'for other purposes.'" According to a 2005 ruling by the USDA, because "clone your pet" companies are not licensed by any state or federal agency, they are not subject to this regulation.
As cloning companies are not required to report on research, the only information to be found on the cloning process is in scientific journals. Of the studies reported in journals, 99% of them are failures. According to the American Anti-Vivisection Society and the Humane Society of the United States, cloning companies have used more than 530 dogs and cats to create 3,656 genetically manipulated embryos. Of these, five cloned dogs and 11 cloned cats survived more than 30 days. Reports also cited four miscarriages and five deaths within 30 days of birth. Lou Hawthorne, chairman at BioTech International, a "clone your pet" company in California, has said that 15-45% of cloned cats will die within 30 days of being born.
Perhaps more troubling is the unknown. As of yet, no cloned animal has survived a full lifespan. Experts do not know what health problems clones will encounter later in life. In an article for the Internet edition of the Telegraph, an English newspaper, Dr. Robert Blelloch of the University of California is quoted as saying, "cloning will produce a less than perfect replicate with a high risk for substantial health complications." The implication is that if you clone your pet, the clone may face pain and suffering or a shortened life. The lack of information, though, makes it difficult to weigh cloning pros and cons. Many aspects of pet cloning are still unknown, and until more is known, the technology should not be available for commercial profit.
As cloning companies are not required to report on research, the only information to be found on the cloning process is in scientific journals. Of the studies reported in journals, 99% of them are failures. According to the American Anti-Vivisection Society and the Humane Society of the United States, cloning companies have used more than 530 dogs and cats to create 3,656 genetically manipulated embryos. Of these, five cloned dogs and 11 cloned cats survived more than 30 days. Reports also cited four miscarriages and five deaths within 30 days of birth. Lou Hawthorne, chairman at BioTech International, a "clone your pet" company in California, has said that 15-45% of cloned cats will die within 30 days of being born.
Perhaps more troubling is the unknown. As of yet, no cloned animal has survived a full lifespan. Experts do not know what health problems clones will encounter later in life. In an article for the Internet edition of the Telegraph, an English newspaper, Dr. Robert Blelloch of the University of California is quoted as saying, "cloning will produce a less than perfect replicate with a high risk for substantial health complications." The implication is that if you clone your pet, the clone may face pain and suffering or a shortened life. The lack of information, though, makes it difficult to weigh cloning pros and cons. Many aspects of pet cloning are still unknown, and until more is known, the technology should not be available for commercial profit.
Labels: clone your pet, cloning process, pet cloning
posted by Cloning Controversy | Read more articles at CloneYourPet.net | 7:47 PM
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