The first pet cloning clinic in Great Britain has opened its doors, offering pet owners the chance to nearly recreate their beloved animals. However, the price tag is steep at £40,000 for each cloned pet.
Gemini Genetics, the clinic based in Shropshire, provides cloning services by taking genetic samples from pets and sending them to the United States, where the procedure is legal. Once the DNA is extracted, it is implanted into an embryo and carried by a surrogate mother.
Lucy Morgan, the laboratory director, explained that after a pet passes away, owners have five days to preserve DNA for cloning. The process involves using a donor egg, extracting its nucleus, and implanting a cell from the pet to be cloned. A jolt of electricity is then applied to stimulate cell division.
Cloning a horse is even more expensive, costing £65,000. While the practice raises ethical questions, the technology has advanced significantly since the first successful cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1996. Companies are now also working to clone endangered species, such as the black-footed ferret and the Przewalski's horse.
As the market for pet cloning grows, experts predict it could be worth millions by 2028, driven by increased interest during the pandemic.