Pet Cloning: Is It Worth the Risk?

Animal cloning is a new trend that is sweeping the nation. But is good?

The act of cloning has been going on for years and is increasingly being done. Some people argue that it is perfectly okay but is it really necessary? Cloning has several disadvantages such as endangering the safety of the lives of the animals being tested on. The act of cloning a pet is unnatural and unethical and should be put to an end.

First off, cloning is a very risky process that might not even be successful. Many people who want to clone their pets want to do it so they can have an animal that has the look and personality as their original. However, this is usually not the case. In the article "Should You Clone Your Pet?”, by Scholastic, the author states, "That's because an animal’s temperament is determined not only by its genes but also by its life experiences." This means that even though the clone may have the same DNA as the original pet, they could have completely different personalities simply based on the fact that they would be living different lives.

Furthermore, many cloning attempts don’t turn out how they’re supposed to. Many cloned animals who survive birth, have a variety of defects. According to the National Humane Society, "99 percent of cloning attempts

fail to produce a healthy cloned animal...,” and "...that 15 – 45 percent of cloned cats who are born alive will die within 30 days." This is a tremendous death rate among these animals. Also, when cloning an animal, scientists have to use a surrogate mother (an animal that takes the role of a mother to another animal). However, doing this puts an extraordinary amount of tension and strain on the surrogate. This process is not ethical to do.

Another reason cloning is wrong is because it is unnecessary. There are several animals across the U.S. that are stuck in shelters and are consistently having to be euthanized. Instead of cloning and adding more animals to the problem, potential cloners should look to adopt one of these animals. This would be a simple solution that would halt pet cloning and give an animal a new home.

Some people would argue that pet cloning actually has its advantages. The claim is made that cloning can bring back a beloved pet into your life. However, as stated before cloning does not produce an exact copy of the original subject. Therefore, the look and character of the clone would be completely different. You might not even recognize them! So, this would disprove the act of cloning a pet simply to have them back in your life.

Recently, pet owners have looked to cloning to "revive" an animal that has since been gone from their lives. They hope that seeing their pet again will end the grief and sorrow they have experienced when dealing with the loss of a pet. Although doing this will bring back an animal it will not necessarily bring back their pet. It is unethical and unnatural to the lives of the innocent animals involved. Should we really risk their safety just to revive a long gone pet?

#JustinPrice