Pet Cloning is Good for You!

If you have ever had a pet, you understand the strong bonds that form between animal lovers and their pets. They are bonds that are reinforced by biology, as hormones are released during bonding. These hormones are natural and beneficial. When your pet means that much to you, it is only natural to want to consider cloning your pet when it is gone. Pet cloning is an effective way to continue an important and loving relationship.

On the Calgary Herald website, Robin S. explains how bonds are formed between people and their pets. She says,

This rush of feelings and emotions is perfectly normal and biological in nature. After playing with their dog, owners feel the same surge of emotion associated with romance or a mother's love, Japanese researchers recently found. It's called the "love drug" --Azuba University biologists Miho Nagasawa and Takefumi Kikusui believe the hormone oxytocin is released. Oxytocin also reduces stress and can fight depression.

She goes on to describe the experiment Miho Nagasawa and Takefumi Kikusui performed to prove this theory. They studied dog owners and their dogs during play. Their results demonstrated the significance of the bond between human and pet.

Owners who locked gaze with their dogs for an average of 2.5 minutes per playtime saw a 20 per cent spike in their oxytocin levels versus owners who spent less than 45 seconds meeting eyes with their animals, their study revealed. The so-called long-gaze owners also defined their relationship with their dog as better than the short gazers.

Clearly, pets enhance the quality of life of pet owners. As the bonds between pets and owners increase production of a hormone that enhances the physical and mental health of the owner, pet cloning is perfectly justifiable.

Opponents of pet cloning may point out that you can adopt a pet from a shelter instead of cloning your pet. The problem with this theory, though, is that it is the connection between a human and a specific, beloved pet that causes positive effects. Thus, cloning your pet may be a valuable service in maintaining your mental and physical health.

Cloning Like Breeding

It is ridiculous to oppose cloning of pets when breeding is as widely accepted as it is in our culture. Breeding is a process that is completely controlled by humans and has been conducted for centuries. Breeders can choose the features that allow animals to fit their criteria and maximize their potential. Those are exactly the reasons that some pet cloning companies give for creating clone dogs. Thus, if breeding of pets is acceptable to our society, then so must be cloning of pets.

Pet cloning and breeding are similar in that humans control the genetic makeup of animals born through the processes. A website called NetPets says, “Breeds must not be confused with species or even subspecies, which occur naturally under the influence of natural selection...An important characteristic of breeds is that they are created by breeders.” Clone dogs can be described similarly; they are purposely created by man with specific genetic parameters.

Clearly, breeding is genetic manipulation that would not happen without human interference. That does not mean that the process is a bad one. The site goes on to state, “At the very least we should all have clean consciences once again, knowing that we were making our best efforts, using up-to-date genetic knowledge, to produce sane, healthy, robust canine companions.” This article describes dog breeding, but the process is used on other animals and for many purposes. In farm animals, breeding increases efficiency, and in breeding of any kind of animal, the purpose is to ensure that certain genetic traits are passed on.

Just as breeding is useful to humans, so is cloning of pets. Pet cloning, like breeding, allows animals to reach their full potential. Clone dogs, like their bred counterparts, are born with genes to be utilized for specific purposes. Pet cloning will prove to be just as useful to this society as has breeding.

Cloning Raises Status of Pets

Animal rights activists who oppose pet cloning are clearly misinformed about the process, and they fail to consider the benefits of cloning animals. Pet cloning is not harmful to the animals involved, and it does not add to the homeless pet population. Through the issue of pet cloning, society is beginning to view pets as beings that deserve acknowledgement, respect, and rights. Pet cloning is helping us, as a society, to view our pets as more than merely furry accessories.

The first obstacle that animal rights activists must overcome is the misconception that animals used in pet cloning are mistreated. Pet cloning companies are eager to point out that the elevated status of pets in our society means that they must treat cats and dogs with more respect and care than they would animals used for product testing or agricultural pursuits. Consumers of pet cloning services would expect no less of cloning companies.

In our society, we are very close to our pets – they are our companions. To some pet lovers, suggesting adoption of another pet from a shelter after the loss of a beloved pet is akin to suggesting the replacement of a lost baby with one who is adopted. Pet cloning is a controversial and costly procedure, but some people are willing to go to great lengths to have their pets cloned. In addition, the ability to clone animals that are skilled in certain areas adds value to our perception of these animals.

Animal rights activists want the best for animals, and they should understand that animal cloning may be the most important development in the area of animal rights since the introduction of the Animal Welfare Act. Supporting pet cloning implies that pets are important enough to be cloned. They are valued members of families and society, and they benefit humans greatly.

Pet Cloning Not Immoral

As the topic of pet cloning becomes more widely discussed and debated, those who oppose it spread unfounded arguments about why you should not clone your pet. Two of the most commonly used arguments against pet cloning are based on faulty reasoning. Opponents of pet cloning say that the cloning process is unethical because companies that will clone your pet deceive consumers and because large homeless pet populations should be adopted before new pets are created. These may both be arguable points, but they do not prove that pet cloning should be eliminated.

It is unfair for naysayers to claim that you should be unable to clone your pet because pet cloning companies offer a product that may not be exactly what consumers expect. The use of false advertising does not automatically make a product immoral. Sexualized commercials for beer or cologne imply that these products will make consumers more attractive. The fact that the products do not cause such results does not mean that they should be pulled from shelves. Perhaps pet cloning companies indulge in false advertising by refraining from disclosing the possible results of the cloning process, but that does not make pet cloning unethical.

Another popular argument against pet cloning is that there is a large number of homeless pets that are currently in animal shelters. There is no denying that this is the case. However, this is an invalid argument against pet cloning. Pet cloning does not increase the amount of animals that are in animal shelters. The cloning process results in one animal for each consumer. Activists to whom shelter overcrowding is worrisome should take issue with breeders and puppy mills.

The problem with the arguments that are currently being made against pet cloning is that they are largely based on opinion. While it is understandable that people would form strong opinions on topics such as this, it is unfair to place bans on things because of differing values and opinions.

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.

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.

Why You Should Clone Your Pet

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

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 "clone your pet" 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 "clone your pet" 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

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.