Pet Cloning: All for it

Why You Should Clone Your Pet

2009-02-17T21:01:00.000-08:00

Opponents of cloning animals will tell you that it is wrong to clone your pet because there are millions of homeless pets in animal shelters, waiting to be adopted. Not only does pet cloning deny those animals precious homes, but it is also costly, and the money would be better spent by donation to a shelter. This would be a compelling argument, if in fact, the opposite were not true.

Actually, those homeless animals are a great reason for you to clone your pet. As scientists do more research into cloning animals, they learn more about their reproductive systems. Currently, the standard practice is to surgically spay or neuter pets. With better knowledge of cat and dog reproduction, gained through the cloning process, scientists can develop contraceptive methods that are cheaper and less invasive. And if you clone your pet, the cost of it goes toward such research. This is an important part of the equation, because the reproductive systems of dogs are not as well understood as those of other mammals. Without commercial interest in the subject, funds were unavailable for research into the physiology of canine reproduction.

In the long run, shelters will benefit far more greatly from introduction of a cheaper and easier way to sterilize animals than from a one-time donation. If a drug-based contraceptive is developed, it can be distributed to feral animals without the need to trap them. Also, people who may have avoided a costly surgical procedure may be more likely to give a pet a drug-based contraceptive. With non-evasive and affordable contraception available, the goal to control dog and cat populations becomes attainable.

If you want to clone your pet, chances are that you love not only your cat or dog, but all animals. The years that you spend with an animal create strong bonds and teach you much about that particular animal. Having cared for and bonded with an animal with the same genetic makeup, you can be sure that if you clone your pet, you will have a perfect match. At the same time, you will be helping to make strides in pet population control.

Trakr: A Hero's Legacy Continues

2009-01-15T10:59:00.000-08:00

On the morning of September 12, 2001, James Symington and his dog, Trakr, arrived at Ground Zero in New York City. Trakr and Symington, a former Canadian police officer, were among the first volunteer rescue teams to arrive on the scene after the World Trade Center attacks, and Trakr is credited with finding the last survivor in the rubble. In recognition of his outstanding achievement, the California cloning company BioArts International has chosen Trakr as the worthiest dog to be cloned. They have offered Symington the opportunity to receive free pet cloning services.

Trakr has come to the end of his impressive career. In 1995, he and Symington launched the first canine police unit in Halifax. The two spent six years there before their heroic efforts at Ground Zero. Sadly, Trakr has developed a degenerative neurological condition that has inhibited use of his hind legs and may have been caused by toxic conditions at the World Trade Center site.

BioArts is attempting to extend Trakr's legacy through the cloning process. On their Best Friends Again website they say, “Cloning the best working dogs can potentially improve the efficiency of working dog breeding programs.” Although Trakr's clone's characteristics will be formed by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, BioArts maintains that a genetic predisposition to “the right mix of sensitivity, intelligence, temperament, and other qualities” increases chances that with the right training, a clone of an outstanding working dog will follow in its predecessor's footsteps. Essentially, cloning animals results in animals more likely to achieve success in certain lines of duty.

This development offers exciting opportunities to benefit people and society and makes an excellent argument for animal cloning. In South Korea, seven dogs were cloned for police work last year. All seven passed a behavior test that determines genetic qualification for this type of work, whereas the average passage rate for naturally born dogs is 10-15%. Being able to control the genetic information of a dog through the cloning process will allow experts to increase populations of dogs suited to certain kinds of work, such as search and rescue, detection of certain materials, and aiding disabled humans. That means pet cloning has the potential to turn Man's Best Friend into humankind's greatest ally, helper, and hero.

Better Living Through Cloning

2008-12-20T20:54:00.000-08:00

Did you know that other than mice, dogs share more disease patterns with humans than any other animal? If you are weighing pet cloning pros and cons, that is an important fact to consider. In attempting to further the science of the cloning process, scientists have studied many aspects of canine physiology. The knowledge that they have gained has added not only to that of the cloning process, but also to general scientific, veterinarian, and medical knowledge. Their research contributes to knowledge of human physiology and adds to stem cell research, which has a therapeutic goal of curing diseases in humans.

The benefits of cloning animals are not exclusive to humans. As scientists learn more about the cloning process for pets, they will be better able to extend it to other species. This is important in the effort to protect endangered species from becoming extinct. Although habitat preservation is the best way to go about prevention of extinction, there are situations in which the population is so sparse that cloning is the best option.

In addition, dogs and cats as species benefit from the cloning process. Groups that oppose cloning animals cite pet overpopulation and overcrowded animal shelters as reasons not to pursue this scientific venture. The reality, though, is that pet cloning can help to alleviate these problems. Research on dog and cat reproduction is essential to pet cloning, and understanding dog and cat reproductive physiology can facilitate the development of drug-based contraception that is more cost-effective than the current surgical practices.

The additional good news about pet cloning is that although its benefits extend to humans and many species of animals, it is not publicly funded. People have recently paid upwards of $150,000 to clone a beloved pet. The bottom line is that there is a demand for a privately funded process that benefits the public. Pet cloning increases the body of scientific knowledge, helps us gain control of animal populations, and makes people happy. Given those facts, it is difficult to question pet cloning ethics.