The Slippery Slope

Much evidence points to the conclusion that it is unethical to clone your pet, but perhaps arguments against pet cloning have failed to sway you. If you have yet to be convinced, consider the implications that successful, public-condoned pet cloning will have on the future of cloning humans. As the science of pet cloning becomes more precise, human cloning becomes demystified. Just as consumer products are tested on animals, cloning is being perfected for use on humans. Supporting pet cloning sets a dangerous precedent that launches us down the slippery slope leading to cloning humans.

Some argue that to clone your pet contributes knowledge to the scientific community. This statement is absolutely true. Keep in mind, though, that to clone your pet is a reproductive cloning process, not a therapeutic one. Advances science makes in this field lead to producing clone animals, not to more sophisticated gene therapy, cures for diseases, or other beneficial procedures. In other words, the scientific knowledge that pet cloning contributes to the field facilitates the advancement of cloning humans.

The Human Genome Project's website lists arguments against cloning humans. The program says,

Due to the inefficiency of animal cloning...and the lack of understanding about reproductive cloning, many scientists and physicians strongly believe that it would be unethical to attempt to clone humans...With so many unknowns concerning reproductive cloning, the attempt to clone humans at this time is considered potentially dangerous and ethically irresponsible.

This statement establishes cloning humans as unethical because there is not currently enough known about the process. What happens when the science becomes more sophisticated? When experiments with pet cloning eliminate the unknown aspects of human cloning, does cloning humans become ethical?

Humans are mammals, as are the pet dogs and cats currently being cloned. Advances in cloning mammals are advances in cloning humans. If it is acceptable to clone your pet because of an extraordinary ability or temperament, then it should be equally acceptable to clone Albert Einstein or Mother Theresa. Once we condone animal cloning, regardless of species, it becomes difficult to determine where to draw the line. The only logical conclusion is to oppose cloning altogether.