Pet Cloning Still Unethical

This is an important time for the issue of pet cloning. It seems that lately, the issue makes headlines almost weekly. After President Obama's issuance of an executive order on Monday that lifts a ban on federal funding of stem cell research, there is sure to be surge of debate on pet cloning ethics. While proponents of pet cloning will likely tout this as a victory, the president's statement as well as the response of the scientific community make it clear that pet cloning does not fit the description of the cloning research that our society has now deemed valuable.

A New York Times article on the president's reversal of stem cell research limitations described his stance on human cloning.

In making his announcement, Mr. Obama drew a strict line against human cloning, an issue that over the years has become entangled with the debate over human embryonic stem cell research. He said that he would ensure that his administration “never opens the door” to cloning for human reproduction, adding, “It is dangerous, profoundly wrong and has no place in our society or any society.”

Human cloning, like pet cloning, is a reproductive cloning process. The president has said in no uncertain terms that cloning research is valuable to us only for therapeutic purposes. To clone your pet is therefore, unnecessary and wrong.

Another New York Times article points out that scientific advances in the field of therapeutic cloning have introduced alternatives to using stem cells that may prove more effective in some instances. Some say that pet cloning is valuable because it has furthered research on cloning at a time when limitations existed on funding of stem cell research. However, leaders in the field of therapeutic cloning have continued to make advances by using adult stem cells, on which limitations have never existed. Obviously, there is no basis for the claim that to clone your pet is an important contribution to scientific knowledge.

Pet cloning is a frivolous use of money and science. It is irresponsible, considering all the homeless pets that already exist, and it does not support therapeutic cloning endeavors. Our society is embracing cloning, and it is important that part of this process is to determine exactly what is and is not acceptable, in order to avoid traveling down a dangerous path.