Taking Another Step Forward

In the brief history of human existence, many amazing scientific advancements have been attained that have made life easier. Emerging technologies are not always welcomed wholeheartedly by society, and in fact, they are often controversial or even feared when they are first introduced. Currently, to clone your pet is a controversial action, but cloning technologies are the next big step in humanity's journey, and pet cloning is playing a huge role in the development of the cloning process.

When the automobile was first introduced as a form of transportation, people were afraid of its power. Soon, though, they realized the advantages of the car that would make their everyday lives so much better. The same will be said of pet cloning and the cloning process. As a result of research done on pet cloning, scientific knowledge has been gained about cloning technologies that will help suffering humans.

The cloning process offers many potential benefits to the human race. Scientists are beginning to learn how to clone replacement body parts for those who have defects or have been affected by disease. These advancements have been made possible in large part by pet cloning. In order to clone animals, experts must learn about their physiologies and about how the cloning process works. Thus, if you clone your pet, you contribute money to research done in the field, and that research leads to breakthroughs in benefits to humans.

Science fiction movies have provided a scary and unrealistic view of the cloning process. In reality, though, cloning is another exciting scientific breakthrough for humankind. It was preceded by many other controversial advancements, and will surely not be the last of its kind. As a society, we need to embrace the ability to clone your pet as a meaningful and valuable addition to our scientific abilities.

New Hope for Transplant Hopefuls

In light of the recent attention paid to the subject of human stem cell research, it seems appropriate to highlight the potential benefits to humans of cloning animals. In order to clone your pet, scientists have done extensive research on canine and feline physiology and the cloning process, and continue to do so. This research broadens the knowledge base on the subject of cloning animals and humans, and increases the potential for scientists to use cloning technology in the treatment of human ailments. As animal cloning technology advances, it becomes clear that medicine and humankind will benefit from advancements made.

One result of such research is the ability of scientists to perform xenotransplantation, which is transplantation from one species to another. The advancement of this process will allow scientists to grow human cells, tissues, or organs in other species and then transplant them to humans. Scientists have already been able to grow a tiny human heart in a mouse's body, and plans are underway for a cow to produce human blood to be used in transfusion. This is a significant victory for medicine. At any given time, tens of thousands of people are waiting for organ transplants in the United States alone. The ability of humans to receive organs from non-human donors would dramatically decrease that number. The same companies that will clone your pet are the ones that have made breakthroughs like this possible. The commercial funding that accompanies cloning your pet allows scientists to pursue animal cloning research.

Xenotransplantation is not the only benefit of animal cloning research. As the cloning process has been examined, scientists have learned important information about physiology, cloning, and reproduction. They have learned about programming and reproducing cells and how these processes can be used to help humans with diseases and defects. It is clear that pet cloning and the cloning process have proven to be valuable to humankind.

Clones = Twins

People who would like to take away your right to clone your pet claim that cloning animals is unnatural and should be outlawed. That statement is untrue and misleading. In fact, cloning happens in nature. Like clones, identical twins are two offspring that share identical genetic information. Furthermore, twinning is not limited to the human species – many species of animals, including dogs and cats, produce instances of identical twins. Thus, pet cloning is a phenomenon that occurs naturally, and pet cloning companies are merely fulfilling a demand to induce a naturally occurring process.

According to Wikipedia, the occurrence of twins is common in cats. Likewise, dogs are sometimes born in sets of twins. Although both dogs and cats are born in litters, twins are a different case. This happens when two animals of the litter are born from the same sac, meaning that they shared an egg in the womb. Humans use procedures such as in vitro fertilization and fertility treatments, implanting embryos and often causing multiple births. This is very similar to pet cloning, and is widely accepted as ethical. Technically speaking, pet cloning is creating a twin that is born later than the original. What, then, is so wrong about wanting to clone your pet?

Scientists that will clone your pet do not harm any existing animals – they simply create more animals in the images of beloved pets that unfortunately, cannot live forever. We have the technology to induce multiple births in humans, and likewise, we can create a twin of a pet by cloning animals. If a phenomenon occurs naturally and can be recreated scientifically, there is no reason to see any problem with it or to oppose it. Opponents of pet cloning should stop basing arguments on their opinions and take the facts into consideration. The process of pet cloning is ethical, and there is a consumer demand for it, so pet cloning companies provide a worthwhile service.

Obama Approves of Cloning Research

President Obama had good news for the scientific community and the American public on Monday: he reversed the ban on federal funding of stem cell research. This is is an important development and something to take note of if you might like to clone your pet. In lifting the ban on funding this research, the president has established a tolerant tone on the issue of cloning. In addition, acknowledging the importance of the information gathered through stem cell research emphasizes the importance of the research done to clone your pet. With this development, society has taken a giant step toward a better quality of life.

Since 1996, the government has regulated public funding of research on cloning. Now, the president has acknowledged the importance of this area of science. In his executive order, he says that “advances over the past decade in this promising scientific field have been encouraging.” This reflects well on pet cloning efforts, because research done on cloning pets has added to advances in the field.

As more research is done on cloning of stem cells, scientists will look to information that has been gathered by companies that will cone your pet. In fact, because stem cell research has gone so long without funding, experts are afraid that the field lacks talent and leadership in this country. In an interview with Brian Leher on New York radio station WNYC, Michael Christman, president and CEO of the Coriell Institute for Medical Research said, "damage has been done, really, by the Bush rescinding of federal funding in 2001, nationwide, because you have a whole, sort of, generation of scientists that saw embryonic stem cell funding as not a viable career, and those people are now - either have left the country or are doing something else." Luckily, pet cloning companies will be able to fill in that gap. As this society becomes more comfortable with the idea of cloning and the benefits that can and will follow, it will become more acceptable to clone your pet.

The Real Deal

Unfortunately, all the information that is available on the Internet is not subject to fact checking. I know how difficult it can be to determine the validity of some statements, so I would like to take this opportunity to respond to some of the arguments made by people who do not want you to clone your pet.

Claim: It is irresponsible to clone your pet when there are so many stray animals and homeless pets in animal shelters.

Fact: To clone your pet does not contribute to homeless pet populations. Cloning companies create one pet, and that pet goes to a loving home with the family that opted to have the cloning process performed. In fact, the cloning process can help to combat the problem of homeless pets. In order to clone your pet, scientists need to understand the reproductive physiology of cats and dogs. As there was a lack of funding, very little was known about this subject until research began on pet cloning. An increased knowledge of feline and canine reproductive physiology will result in drug-based contraception. Currently, surgical procedures are used to prevent reproduction in these animals. Drug-based contraception will be more cost-effective and easier to dispense, and homeless and feral pet populations will be easier to control.

Claim: The companies that will clone your pet are not held to the same standards as are those who handle other animals. Therefore, the animals involved are not treated well.

Fact: People most commonly choose dogs and cats as their household pets, and most people feel very strongly about the manner in which these particular animals are treated. Thus, companies that will clone your pet are held to a higher standard than that which applies to other animals, and the dogs and cats that are involved in the cloning process are treated humanely.

Claim: Pet Cloning decreases genetic variation, leading to a smaller chance of survival and betterment of the species.

Fact: This claim is invalid, because to clone your pet does not eliminate other members, and thus genetic variations, of the species. In fact, pet cloning can increase genetic diversity, because it gives a genome that may not have reproduced a chance to do so.

I hope that these responses have dispelled some common misconceptions about the cloning process. Please be wary of scare tactics and discriminating in choosing reliable sources of information.