The loss of a beloved pet can lead to profound grief, with some individuals mourning for years. Since the first cloning of a pet, a Maine Coon cat, the demand for genetically replicating pets has surged, with approximately 1,000 animals cloned annually.
Lucy Morgan, manager at Gemini Genetics, notes that while many associate cloning with Dolly the sheep, the technology has advanced significantly since then. The process is now more efficient and capable of cloning various pets.
One notable success from the lab is a friendly cocker spaniel named Gem, who, despite some personality differences, shares many traits with the original dog.
The cloning process involves taking a tissue sample within five days of the pet's death. This sample is cleaned, and the DNA is extracted and preserved in liquid nitrogen at -196 degrees Celsius. The cost of sample collection can reach £600.
After the owner's approval, the sample is sent to a partner lab in Texas, where the cloning process can take up to a year, especially for animals like horses, which have long gestation periods. The cloned animals are born and weaned in Texas before being sent back to the UK. The total cost for cloning can range from $50,000 to $80,000.
Currently, Gemini Genetics focuses on cloning dogs, cats, and horses, but also preserves DNA from various endangered species, including elephants and rhinos, in collaboration with Nature's Safe. The lab holds 279 DNA samples from species like sloths and southern white rhinos.
Cloning pets has gained popularity among celebrities as well. Last year, singer Barbra Streisand revealed she cloned her deceased dog, Samantha, twice, while Simon Cowell expressed interest in the process earlier this summer.
Though cloning was first discovered in 1958, the first successful animal cloning occurred in 1996 with Dolly the sheep, challenging previous beliefs about the feasibility of cloning.