They are increasing.
Twenty-four years after Dolly the sheep – the first mammal successfully cloned from an adult cell – was born in Scotland, the business of pet cloning is booming in the United States.
“Cloning is growing faster than we can effectively manage that growth,” said Blake Russell, president of Viagen.
It is the only company in the US offering pet cloning, and currently has a five-month waiting list. (A tissue sample must be taken within five days of the pet’s death, but the sample can be stored for decades.)
The company was founded in 2002 focusing on the genetic conservation of horses and livestock. In 2015, it launched the Viagen Pets division, offering its cloning services to cat and dog lovers. Company’s turnover doubled from 2017 to 2022 The Post was first toldAnd Russell said it now clones about 200 pets per year.
Previously, people who wanted to clone pets had to go to South Korea, where the first dog – an Afghan hound named Snuppy – was cloned in 2005.
While cloning is becoming increasingly popular, it remains quite expensive.
Austin, a New York City businessman, recently spent $50,400 to clone his Yorkshire terrier Caesar, who died in January.
Getting a new puppy from a breeder will not work.
“I didn’t find any strange dog; I was so heartbroken and emotionally attached and going through this was a way to get Caesar back a little bit,” the sexagenarian, who asked to be known by his middle name for professional reasons, told The Post. “I wanted to continue his lineage, and he was neutered as a child. The simple answer is, I didn’t want another dog; I wanted Caesar’s child. For me, this was the only way forward.”
To clone a pet, tissue cells are harvested, cultured, and frozen before or shortly after the animal dies. ViaGen charges a $150 annual fee in addition to the initial $1,600 collection fee for those wishing to store frozen tissue samples.
To proceed with cloning, DNA from the sample is inserted into a donor egg that has had the genetic material removed. The eggs are then stimulated with electricity to stimulate cell division. The resulting embryos are then transferred to a surrogate animal with the hope that at least one will take over. If the procedure is successful, the surrogate carries the clone – or potential clone – for about two months, as is typical for dogs and cats, and gives birth to healthy puppies or kittens.
“The new animal has all the cells of your old dog,” Austin said.
The complex procedure involves the operation of two animals – both the egg donor and the surrogate – which has raised some ethical concerns.
Viagen spokesperson Lauren Aston emphasizes that all animals involved are treated humanely. “We make sure they are well taken care of,” he told The Post.
As far as the health of clones goes, a 2016 study on the long-term health of cloned sheep is published in the journal Nature. nature communication The animals were found to age normally.
Austin is thrilled with the results. Her two embryos successfully implanted, and her cloned puppies, Julius and Henry, are now 4 months old.
She said that even at such a young age he already displays an uncanny resemblance to her late pup.
“The symptoms, behavior, and reactions of these guys are incredibly similar to Caesar’s, and they’re just puppies,” he explains. “I still miss Caesar so much and cry about him, but Now I have a piece of it. These dogs have 100% his cells and DNA – it’s almost reincarnation.
While expensive, Russell said it’s not just wealthy pet lovers who are opting for cloning. At one time, the company offered financing but it no longer does.
“We have a lot of middle-class people who tell us that the enjoyment they get from their animals is more valuable than the enjoyment they get from a car,” he previously told The Post.
Kelly Anderson, an influencer and marketer who lives in Austin, Texas, struggled to afford cloning when her cat Tea died seven years ago.
“I took out a loan,” she said of paying for the procedure, which cost $25,000 at the time. “It was not money that came easily to me. I’m not rich by any means, but it’s worth every penny, absolutely… Tea was my soulmate; She understood me and she was my everything. “I have never developed a bond with any other pet or human like I did with him.”
The resulting cat, Belle, looks similar to Tea.
“I immediately felt a bond and a lot of love,” she said. “Belle has the same temperament as Tea – she’s bold, proud and adventurous – a totally cool queen.”
But the carbon copy differs from the original in some ways.
She said, “Belle doesn’t resonate with my feelings like tea,” but “I was depressed then and I’m in a much better place now.” 1731663515,
