| Clone a Cat, Go To Jail | | | | animals that must undergo multiple surgeries |
| | | | as part of the process of making clones.The |
| ...or at least pay a fine. That's the goal | | | | Risks To Owners |
| of animal welfare activists who announced | | | | |
| recently that they are seeking state and | | | | The potential for consumer fraud is also an |
| federal restrictions on the small but growing | | | | issue. Clones tend to be ordered by people |
| pet-cloning industry.The effort has been | | | | who are grieving the loss of a much-loved pet |
| spearheaded by the American Anti-Vivisection | | | | and who may have unrealistically high |
| Society [AAVS] (in suburban Philadelphia), | | | | expectations of their clones. Although they |
| and takes aim at companies such as Genetic | | | | share identical genetic profiles, clones do |
| Savings and Clone Inc., the California | | | | not always resemble originals because coat |
| company that began to fill orders for cloned | | | | patterns are not strictly genetically |
| cats last year. The clones - which have sold | | | | determined. Personalities and behavior |
| for $50,000 each - are genetic duplicates of | | | | patterns are even less predictable on the |
| a customer's deceased pet and represent the | | | | basis of genetics alone. All personalities |
| leading edge of an emerging sector that | | | | are products of some basic genetics, and the |
| advocates predict could eventually reap | | | | environment in which the animal is raised |
| billions of dollars for corporate cloners. | | | | and, since a particular environment can never |
| The movie, the 6th Day , starring the | | | | be perfectly recreated (there's always a |
| erstwhile governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, | | | | random element) personalities will, most |
| features pet cloning businesses in a shopping | | | | likely, be different as well in any clone. |
| mall during its opening sequences. It may | | | | "Consumers are likely under the impression |
| soon be the case that life imitates art in | | | | that a clone is a carbon copy. We believe |
| this respect and pet cloning franchises may | | | | they are being misled," AAVS policy analyst |
| start popping up in common shopping venues. | | | | Crystal Miller-Spiegel said.David Magnus, |
| But not if the AAVS have their way.Should | | | | director of Stanford University's Center for |
| Cloning Be Allowed? | | | | Biomedical Ethics, spoke more bluntly. |
| | | | "People are not getting what they think |
| Several companies are racing to compete with | | | | they're getting," Magnus said. "This is a |
| Genetic Savings and Clone, the current | | | | $50,000 rip-off."There is certainly a war of |
| industry leader, which has produced about a | | | | words beginning between the cloning |
| half-dozen cloned cats and aims to achieve | | | | businesses and the AAVS. It's likely to |
| the more difficult goal of cloning a dog this | | | | become a more contentious issue as there's |
| year. Some companies are already selling fish | | | | potentially a lot of money to be made (at |
| genetically engineered to glow in the dark, | | | | $50,000 per kitten) and companies may see the |
| while one has said it will soon produce cats | | | | AAVS's concerns as hurting those potential |
| engineered to not cause reactions in people | | | | profits. It's going to be a case of "Watch |
| allergic to them.The AAVS petitioned the | | | | This Space".Conclusion |
| Department of Agriculture to regulate | | | | |
| pet-cloning companies as it does other animal | | | | Personally, however, cloning is one option |
| research labs under the Animal Welfare Act. | | | | I'm not in favor of but it might be for you |
| The act demands minimum standards of animal | | | | if you're looking at replacing a pet that's |
| care and detailed reporting of the fates of | | | | died. As I mentioned above, the clone may |
| laboratory animals. They have also been | | | | look identical to your lost companion but the |
| working with a California lawmaker to | | | | personality will likely be different. That's |
| introduce state legislation that would ban | | | | not to say the personality will be better or |
| the sale of cloned or genetically engineered | | | | worse, just different. Look at it this way - |
| pets.Are Grieving Pet Owners Being Taken | | | | how many sets of identical twins have the |
| Advantage Of? | | | | same personalities despite having the same |
| | | | genetic make-up and being raised in the same |
| "Pet cloning companies offer false hope of | | | | environment? There are always random factors |
| never having to let go of a pet and are | | | | involved. Every personality is unique and |
| causing harm to animals in the process," the | | | | passes by this way only once.If you find |
| AAVS concluded in a report, "Pet Cloning: | | | | yourself in a position where you would |
| Separating Facts From Fluff."Managers of | | | | consider cloning to be an option that will |
| Genetics Savings and Clone denied | | | | help you cope with the death of your cat, you |
| emphatically that their enterprise takes | | | | should do some background reading first. The |
| advantage of grieving pet owners or harms | | | | National Geographic have a news item on pet |
| animals. "We bend over backwards to make sure | | | | cloning and some people's reaction to it.Gary |
| people are doing this for the right reasons," | | | | Nugent, a software engineer by profession, |
| said company president Lou Hawthorne. | | | | has been a life-long animal lover, especially |
| Nonetheless, he said, "we're open to | | | | of cats and is the webmaster of - a site |
| additional oversight, provided it makes | | | | that helps you make the best choices to keep |
| sense."The Risks Involved For Cloned Animals | | | | your cat healthy, happy and long-lived. The |
| | | | site contains information about cats in |
| Previously cloned animals have suffered high | | | | general, health issues that can affect them, |
| rates of biological abnormalities and | | | | some of their weird and wonderful behavior |
| unexpected deaths during gestation and in the | | | | patterns, their history, and how to choose |
| first days of life. Hawthorne said that has | | | | various products, supplies and toys for your |
| not been the case with cats. But critics said | | | | feline furball. And, not to forget about |
| the process raises other concerns, including | | | | you...there are a few things on the site to |
| the welfare of egg donor and surrogate-mother | | | | keep cat owners amused as well. |