In the age of rapid technological advancements, pet cloning has become a reality for some pet owners seeking a genetic copy of their beloved animals. While the concept of cloning has been around for decades, ever since the creation of Dolly the sheep, it’s only now in 2025 that pet cloning has become a viable option for cat and dog owners. However, as we explore the option of cloning, there are several concerns beyond the steep price tag that require closer scrutiny, especially regarding the ethics and welfare of the animals involved.
The Price of Cloning Pets
At first glance, the cost of cloning your pet may seem staggering—around $50,000 for a single clone. But before you even get to that point, there’s an initial fee of $1,750 for preserving and storing your pet’s genetic material. However, only about 20% of those who initially invest in the genetic preservation move forward with the full cloning process. This statistic alone reveals that, while the financial cost is high, it’s the emotional decision that weighs even heavier for most pet owners.
Yet the real question is not just about the money. It’s about the lives and welfare of the animals involved in the cloning process—specifically the surrogate mothers and the egg donors.
Behind the Scenes of Pet Cloning
Pet cloning companies, like Viagen, maintain a degree of opacity when it comes to the process that happens behind the scenes. Though some information is provided on these companies’ websites, there is little discussion about the sourcing, care, and treatment of the surrogate animals. The critical questions remain: Where do these dogs come from? How are they treated throughout the process? And, perhaps most importantly, what happens to them once they have served their purpose?
Lauren Aston from Viagen, one of the leading companies in the pet cloning industry, provides a bit of insight into the process. According to Aston, Viagen works with multiple breeders to provide surrogates for the cloning process. These surrogate mothers carry a single litter of puppies to term, after which they are rehomed through an adoption agency. While this arrangement might seem like a thoughtful solution for rehoming dogs that are no longer needed for breeding or showing, it raises questions about the broader welfare of these dogs.
The Surrogate Dogs’ Role
The use of surrogate mothers in cloning involves transferring multiple embryos into the surrogate. This is common in in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures for litter-bearing animals like dogs, as the pregnancy tends to be more successful with more than one fetus. The ultimate goal is to have at least one viable puppy, but what happens if multiple embryos survive?
For some clients, there may be a desire for multiple clones of their pet, or perhaps even multiple pets cloned at once. But in the case of multiple embryos surviving to birth, it’s unclear what happens to the extra puppies if only one is needed. This raises questions about the ethical implications of what happens to the remaining embryos or puppies, which may not be as readily addressed as the focus on creating a genetic copy of a pet.
Ethical Dilemmas and Welfare Concerns
While the cloning process itself may seem like an extraordinary scientific achievement, it comes with significant ethical considerations. Cloning is not a flawless process. Many cloned animals suffer from health problems, including shorter lifespans and congenital defects. Additionally, the surrogate mothers involved in the process often face physical and emotional tolls, as the procedure can be invasive and demanding.
In the race to bring beloved pets back to life through cloning, the often overlooked aspects of animal welfare raise serious concerns. For pet owners considering this option, it’s crucial to ask not only whether they can afford to clone their pets, but also whether they are comfortable with the hidden costs involved, particularly when it comes to the lives of the animals used to create these clones.
Final Thoughts
The allure of keeping a beloved pet around forever is undeniably appealing, but it’s important to weigh the potential ethical, emotional, and financial costs before diving into the world of pet cloning. While some may view cloning as a miracle of modern science, the reality of its impact on animal welfare should not be overlooked. Cloning may allow us to extend the time we spend with our pets, but it’s essential to consider what we sacrifice in the process—especially the lives and well-being of the animals involved.