Inside the growing business of pet cloning | BBC News

You might remember the buzz over cloning when Dolly the Sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell, was born in 1996.
Fast forward two decades and cloning technology has moved on so much that you can now clone your pets.
But, animal cloning is still controversial and critics have raised ethical concerns about the wellbeing of donors and surrogates.
The success rate of a cloned embryo is relatively low and complications during the cloning process can cause pain and suffering to the animals involved.
This video is from BBC Click, the BBC’s flagship technology programme and was made in collaboration with BBC Reel.
Video by Claudia Baxter and Tristan Vince
Executive producer: Camelia Sadeghzadeh
Reporter: Stephanie Hegarty
Subscribe here: bit.ly/1rbfUog
For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news
#BBCNews

[@sihr07]

Cloning a pet has to be the most selfish act I’ve heard until now

[@witheringliberal2794]

Twins aren’t interchangeable and neither are cloned pets. When your dog passes away, it’s gone.

[@coondog7934]

Yes (made clear at 1:15). I think this technology is meant for animal breeders (race horses, valuable dogs and cats, cows with a high amount of milk etc.) and of course for animals on the brink of extinction (as explained at 4:22).

[@_Coacain_Zippy]

I’m a clone of Rustie Lee 👩🏿‍🦱

[@_Coacain_Zippy]

@@coondog7934I got big milk 🥛 in my jugs 👩🏿‍🦱😌😉😉

[@witheringliberal2794]

@@coondog7934 I saw that, but the title of the segment is ”Inside the Growing Business of Pet Cloning”

[@coondog7934]

@@witheringliberal2794 don't pay too much attention to titles, they are intended to lure people (no matter how) and often are controversial

[@shinyshinythings]

How sad that people with enough money can now clone pets when there are still so many unwanted dogs and cats waiting in shelters for someone to love them.

[@Jordan-rb28]

Exactly. It is deplorable

[@emmanuelnaranjo8114]

Like children in african

[@flaggerify]

Try to prevent unwanted animals?

[@girlfriday1299]

It's terribly sad.

[@darrenparker7968]

Literally!

[@deebarnard5439]

This is not love of a passed animal, it's self love.

[@thaisbakker6846]

Narcissistic generation can't accept or deal with the natural cycle of life. Who would've thought.

[@bereal6590]

I was just searching for the right words, this is it. You can't clone a relationship with a beloved animal companion. It's just so wrong

[@Choraldiscourse]

Just because we can doesn't mean we should

[@asha8443]

Instead of taking out a loan, why not get a shelter cat instead?

[@kse8348]

🤡🌎 what else

[@quackcement]

i think they want to guarantee the personality and behavior of that animal. similar reason for why pedigree animals are popular, people want certainly in how an animal grows up, i'm not saying its right btw.

[@smallies7154]

thats probably what the cloning lab did and pocketed the 50k

[@patricias8779]

​@@quackcementbut a clone has a different consciousness therefore a different being. Your beloved pet cannot be duplicated

[@quackcement]

@@patricias8779 its a twin

[@ascgazz7347]

£50k loan to clone a cat. This takes ”crazy cat lady” to a whole crazy new level.

[@coondog7934]

I wonder if the cat gets cloned again after its 2nd life.

[@JuanMendoza-qd5lm]

The neon turquoise hair didn't give it away?

[@ascgazz7347]

@@coondog7934 I don’t believe that’s allowed, and I’m not sure they’re alliwed to reproduce.. don’t quote me though.. I’m too lazy to check myself lol

[@ascgazz7347]

@@JuanMendoza-qd5lm I had very long fluorescent green hair for five years, I never did anything like that. Your assumption needs adjustment.

[@JuanMendoza-qd5lm]

@@ascgazz7347 Does finding an Albino Labrador necessitate the classification of an entire new species? Your exception to the rule does not negate the overarching culture.

[@user-sf8rs8py2p]

what a insult to your lovely pet😢😢😢

[@richard590]

You know somewhere in this crazy world there is a crazy scientist with a cloned human.

[@AldrianCG]

Has already happened, i’m sure of it.

[@al28854]

maybe the wealthy owner of that same cloning company is cloning his wife every 10 years and relocating them in diff countries. Imagine cheating on your wife with your wife's younger 'selves' that you've been 'grooming' for the last ..... maybe 3 decades.

[@TheCarlScharnberg]

This is beyond unethical. There are no words. And clones are not your original pet, and never will be.

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

The wealthy, popular, powerful, and influential care nothing for ethics nor consequences. And why should they? As Gods and Goddesses, they may do and dare literally anything.

[@al28854]

@@Novastar.SaberCombat maybe the wealthy owner of that same cloning company is cloning his wife (using genetic source material from the same day she said 'YES!!' during his marriage proposal to her) every 10 years and relocating them (cloned babies) in diff countries. Imagine cheating on your wife with your wife's younger 'selves' that you've been 'grooming' for the last ..... maybe 3 decades.

[@daledevernon56]

You can clone the physical appearance of the dog but how do you clone the personality?

[@tracylynn1461]

I heard a lady talking about this and she said while it looks like my cat did, it doesn't act like my cat did, so even tho it's my cat, it's not my cat.. Proving nature and nurture both important IMO..

[@coondog7934]

For now it is impossible. But I think brain scanning and replicating will be a thing one day.

[@shinyshinythings]

Actually as they said in the video the clone is not totally identical to the original, its markings might be different. Which makes it more like another puppy from the same litter. Why not make a shelter dog happy instead?

[@kse8348]

​@@coondog7934you're dreaming

[@ConnoisseurOfExistence]

I'm sure the personality will be quite similar. There are twin studies with twins separated at birth and even 40 years later, they have similar jobs, diet and habits.

[@k3rc4]

What's next- cloning our children if something happens? It's a slippery slope when you refuse to let go and grieve properly.

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

Sadly, the wealthy, powerful, influential, and popular may do whatever they wish. Ethics, humanity, compassion, consequences, and so much more simply do not apply to them.

[@Froge0]

I love all my pets that have passed, but I love getting new ones with different personalities too. This idea of cloning pets is just weird to me

[@eduardosanchezramirez1807]

oh I totally get it, when my toys break I also prefer to go for different toys. The most important thing is to get to live new experiences.

[@girlfriday1299]

Absolutely.

[@zainabchahine3044]

I don't understand why ppl would do that, it's un natural and for me if my pet passes I would prefer to remember them the way they were in terms of personality and looks.

[@FodoBolseta]

Looking at the cloned one would make me depressed, not happy

[@stephenpaul7499]

@@FodoBolseta That's a fascinating comment (no sarcasm intended)

[@andrewj22]

Undesirable sure, but unnatural, who cares? We all do stuff that's unnatural every day.

[@ConnoisseurOfExistence]

Personality and looks will be very similar in the clone.

[@Jordan-rb28]

​@@ConnoisseurOfExistenceyeah which sounds more painful that pleasurable to me.

[@martabarbeau5061]

No matter what you try to do in creating a duplicate, you cannot duplicate a soul, and all animals come from the angelic realm. They are sentient beings. How sad we have arrived at this point. When your beloved pet passes on, adopt one of the many cast aside, unwanted and heartbroken fur babies, and give them a loving home.

[@cry-rs7vv]

Revelation 22:15: No Dogs Go To Heaven 😂😂

[@Clancydaenlightened]

It may genetically be identical But the clone wouldn't have none of the memories or past life experiences So who knows what it's personality is going to be like....

[@goyasolidar]

Pets have unique personalities. Even if you clone them, those little idiosyncrasies that made them endearing to you won't carry over.

[@iq-ride9329]

I recently lost my pet. When I started watching I started thinking "what if". As the video went on, I decided against it, especially that that shelters have plenty of pets to adopt.

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

Time is the only resource. Letting go is the only way to move forward. There are endless negative repercussions and "plumes" of collateral damages once anyone begins to lean into raising the dead. Regrettably, mankind will eventually embrace "resurrection", get it horribly wrong, and pay a severe price. 🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨ "Before I start, I must see my end. Destination known, my mind's journey now begins. Upon my chariot, heart and soul's fate revealed. In time, all points converge, hope's strength resteeled. But to earn final peace at the universe's endless refrain, we must see all in nothingness... before we start again." 🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨ --Diamond Dragons (book I)

[@lambo6012]

Jesus christ, this is for people that can't let stuff go and can't move on. People die, pets die, people change, things get old. We seriously need to grow up and change our selfish attitudes towards stuff like this.

[@al28854]

and the accomplished pair of time traveling parents who already have a couple of cloned Jesus(es) in their family are LTAO from your comment.

[@GalacticTradingPost]

I thought it was crazy that people would pay a thousands of dollars for a purebred dog and then thousands more dollars its first year to get it professionally trained. But this is next level crazy.

[@nissan300zxtt9]

Good god , its getting like that movie " 6th day " with arnold in it with the store "re-pet" where they cloned animals and a secret group cloned people too.

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

Tony Goldwyn's performance was incredible in that film. Bobby Duvall was excellent as well. Sadly... yup... those with coin, connections, crews, clout, computer code, control, corrupt cronies, and crazy opportunities can do ANYTHING. Ethics, humanity, laws, and consequences do not apply to them. The Theranos chick was a prime example. What a filthy, vile, venemous harpy. Sadly, the world seemed to ADORE her. 🤮☠️🤮 #disgusting

[@rederickfroders1978]

This is awful. Yes its terrible to lose your pet, but with this cloning business we will see even less strays getting adopted.. Even when cloning, you cant just copy a living thing's personality.

[@belladonnatook8851]

How far does this go before it's extended to humans?

[@oletramekaf5603]

Bizarre. Simply bizarre.

[@Happy_Buddah_Bonsai_UK]

What a beautiful Dog 🐶

[@janreid1629]

What if...when your pet dies you go get a new pet from your local animal rescue centre!!

[@icyxxxxx]

Hello

[@eewilson9835]

I'm so happy to know that people are closing in on the perfect parasitic cloning game that transfers personality, perfect pet replica.

[@rashidabaakza8554]

Wow this science is interesting and incredible for pet lovers. But the pets involved for cloning(surrogacy) look like a very painful procedure for successful attempts.

[@lise1255]

It's not illegal in Europe. A lot of famous horses are cloned and even registered in breeding.

[@UltraPerception]

The Evolution in the Litter is the natural way to clone.

[@Vinsmoke51]

ZEUUUUUUUS IS THIS HOW YOU face ME

[@kvw_officialsolowraith1014]

W comment😂

[@colorbugoriginals4457]

if i lost my beloved pet and had 50k to blow on a new one, it'd be going to shelters and rescues on the search for them :(

[@user-bi8ko7kc6h]

I love my cat and he’s gone. Even if I had the money I still wouldn’t clone one. Clone living animals to ‘replace’ the original one is disrespectful to both of them.

[@aavvcc]

Rich people will make supply and demand out of the weirdest things.

[@jacquecortez5014]

or just get an other dog that's the same breed.

[@eliferen9003]

Sometimes, as a human, I feel like I have serious questions about what are we aiming to achieve?

[@ConnoisseurOfExistence]

Cool!

[@mizuhokusuha]

Why ? Their essence (not their soul - I don't believe in it) is gone, only the memories you have are left behind. Why desecrate it? It isn't same pet, why not adopt instead?

[@RealUlrichLeland]

My granny and great aunt are identical twins and they couldn't be more different from each other. Sharing DNA doesn't mean you have the same personality. I think this is a waste of money, potentially cruel and so unnecessary when there's already millions of dogs ready for adoption.

[@dumuzidtherisingphoenix]

2:15 she sounds like machine.

[@KillR000Y]

Any of you guys remember RePet from The Sixth Day?

[@GideonJoseph7898]

Great video!!I wish all the mothers worldwide a lovely and peaceful Mothering Sunday but God has been faithful so far ❤️, My family are happy once again and I can now afford anything for my family even with my Retirement. $57k weekly returns has been life changing, after so much struggles.

[@AbrahamDavid11323]

Hello how do you make such weekly?? I'm a born Christian and sometimes I feel so down of myself because of low finance but I still believe in God.

[@RitaSarsh2452]

The wisest thought that is in everyone's minds today is to invest in different income flows that do not depend on the government, especially with the current economic crisis around the world. This is still a good time to invest in gold, silver and digital currencies (BTC, ETH... Stock)

[@GideonJoseph7898]

Yes exactly, You're right but all thanks to Franca wellis,I really appreciate her efforts and transparency..

[@GideonJoseph7898]

I remember giving her my first savings $20000 and she opened a brokerage account for me it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me.

[@Frankjohnson2332]

This is a definition of God's unending provisions for his people. God remains. faithful to his words. I receive this for my household🙏🙏

[@HorrorSFManiac]

This is a very questionable report. How is the surrogate mom being treated? What about all the puppies / kittens that are killed because they have genetic defects and the client doesn't want them?

[@Jordan-rb28]

There are just some things that human should not be meddling with and this is certainly one of them.

[@ShadYYZ]

This is so terrible to me, there are so many real needy animals out there that need our help, this is disgusting to me on so many levels, I have a couple of sweethearts that I cannot fathom to lose, but I'd be a fool to think I can extend THEM. One of the things I believe technology shouldn't be used for.

[@bobbydennis8333]

“Been that way for 30 years.” - U.S. Justice Department on the lack of Human Rights in Oklahoma County Jail, 2020 “Makes me feel human again after this place.” - Oklahoma City Art Museum review after life in the local shelters (20+ years in the making), 2024 “It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.” - Nelson Mandela 🥂🥂

[@danadirectmarketing]

Sad that with all of the dogs and cats that need adopting that cloaning is a growing business. But I get the attraction...

[@Meditations2024]

I loved my dog more than life itself, but I'd never clone him. I had him cremated so no one else could either. The clone wouldn't be my dog, but a facsimile of him. My dog wasn't simply the product of genes, but the experiences of his life. The same way identical twins aren't the same person, so too clones will never be the same as those they were cloned from. This is a lesson those who clone animals have learned...

[@warpspeedracer]

Got to take the syncord before they pass.

[@clairewinter4117]

How sickening is this and in England, stop please when there gone there gone

[@VeloVios]

Yeah no way a millionaires aren't hiring a team of their own to clone themselves right now. Its the closest thing to living forever and who's gonna know? Everyone else dies but the ones who don't

[@coondog7934]

we will eventually get there, the rich will be enabled to basically live forever while peasants only get 1 life

[@bertiespeirs]

this is basically the plot to altered carbon

[@AzrenKaleBolles-Pohja]

On to Cloning People. 😂 It's going to happen one way or another, so we might as well start making rules for it. Like is a Cloned Human considered Property or are they a given the same rights as everyone else. Do they automatically get all the Property and Debt the original person had or do they Start with a Clean slate.

[@WeAreTheDraiken]

I mean Twins have rights. So why won't clones. But obviously it's more about why the person was cloned. Like besides the elite, I would incline that people who are cloned are people with genetic benefits, like myostatin inhibition syndrome that makes a person Jacked with doing anything. If you cloned people with that cloned people with that condition, you could steer mans evolution in a specific way.

[@user-kt7jo9mw1w]

イギリスの人は動物の扱い方が上手🇬🇧

[@amandad6104]

So this is a thing?

[@gravedigger9313]

Not hard to do Only that the cells are old Can be unhealthy

[@SMALLAXE.]

"I am not rich by any means" then immediately spends 50k cloning her cat fecking first world problems

[@Shazzipants]

your just creating a replica of your pet. Its not the same.

[@henaimtiyaz4189]

A pet is irreplaceable.

[@richardhart9204]

The exact opposite, is most profoundly true.

[@letspetpuppies]

the what now

[@seshkia6004]

Don't do it. Cloned pets seem to have no soul. Every dog i owned in my life is amazing in its own way. No need to stick to the exact same pet forever.

[@user-rg7uh9se4c]

OT: Benny Hill considered funnier than Monty Python by two TV stations --WOR and WLVI!

[@clairewinter4117]

WTF are u saying? I knew benny hill personally don't dish him

[@mfslots]

seems crazy only half a billion get to experience the joy of pets

[@geoms6263]

seems crazy only few million get to experience to eat pets.

[@kevan00001]

Watch Paul Thorpe and his unforgivable BBC, this is what the BBC covers up.

[@JanetLClark]

So many homeless unwanted cats that could have benefitted from the money people spend on these designer animals. Rescue just one and you are doing something better.

[@charlesapana9935]

This wild

[@vectorfox4782]

*CONDITIONAL LOVE*

[@warehousing2953]

In the future, dog clones pet human with 10~20 yrs old lifespan 😆

[@RodrigoQeto8435]

Crazy people, each pet has a soul 😮😮😮

[@trevorsutherland5263]

Don't really care. Not sure I even care when we start cloning each other...

[@belladonnatook8851]

@trevorsutherland. Nihilism.

[@e.h.4933]

This plus AI is how we end up with the Butlerian Jihad from Dune....

[@nick000002]

This is fucked up

[@SamueleC597]

This is sad.

[@bereal6590]

NO NO NO NO AND NO!

[@ALaughingMan]

Genetically almost the same, but it will be a different dog with different experiences and personality.

[@WeAreTheDraiken]

Experiences yes, but not really a different personality, excepy somthing drastically different in its life happens. It will still have the same base nature at the end of the day. Which is where all personality comes from, our nature interacting with our environment.

[@fastwheels195]

Repet repet repet lol

[@user-mc3ie6of4n]

Having tortoises as pets avoids the concern.

[@AriansEra294]

Who's here from asia

[@_Coacain_Zippy]

3/4 of England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@AriansEra294]

Hi​@@_Coacain_Zippy

[@_Coacain_Zippy]

@@AriansEra294 hi 👋🏿🧔🏿‍♀️

[@smallies7154]

nice scam they have going. RIP my best friend Smallies. i cant replace you and im not trying to bring you back as some Frankenstein monster

[@TheRIBLING]

Well I'd rather be a Zeus clone than a putin clone.

[@WeAreTheDraiken]

You can only be a "you" clone.

[@misterfunnybones]

I had a pet flea & I knew the lifespan was limited, so I made multiple clones of the little guy, so now I have fleas.

[@NetishaAlieGrant]

I am baffled that we are working so hard to be immortal in this form of life when we are in spirit. This immortality we seek will remove the very essence of life: it ends.

[@thedivinemissm7795]

Surely you meant to say immortality and not immorality that is sought.

[@NetishaAlieGrant]

@@thedivinemissm7795 yes 🙌🏽 an error as you can see it was stated correctly initially. Thanks though, I edited it

[@coondog7934]

Humanity always has and always will seek a way to become immortal. For now it is the body/shell alone, in 50 years it could be the personality/thoughts/memories as well. It is a worthwhile scientific subject and on high demand.

[@john-dextertecson3688]

The British lab technician is Definitely 💯 clone ✌️😉

[@_Coacain_Zippy]

During the War with Germany 🇩🇪 their once was a German 🇩🇪 doctor who cloned Blonde Boy’s 🧑🏼🧑🏼🧑🏼🧑🏼🧑🏼🧑🏼

[@rebekahlittle2131]

❤

[@jimidando]

That this is happening is only showing the working class, that the rich will eventually clone themselves 🤔😬

[@AriansEra294]

Also india

[@richardhart9204]

You could save money by using your local "pet sematary," though results may vary.

[@guff9567]

Covid spreading

[@curiositycloset2359]

That scientist lady has the strangest voice

[@ascgazz7347]

We need you to upload video of yourself speaking, so we can determine how perfect you are. 👍🏻

[@CapybaraHunter187]

@@ascgazz7347strange voice != bad voice

[@MegaWilderness]

You should get out more

[@_Coacain_Zippy]

Beware of pretty 😍 Angels 👼🏻 😇

[@curiositycloset2359]

@@ascgazz7347 it's not an imperfect voice

[@_Coacain_Zippy]

My neighbour has a white dog 🐶 and it is Racist British 🇬🇧 Bulldog it barks at me because I’m Black

[@ZokaRuss]

I am not religious but I tend to be spiritual and I can't help but strongly feel clones don't mesh with their souls very well. They live short lives and/or act very strange.

[@Simon-wz6km]

Can't take anyone seriously with blue hair

[@misterfunnybones]

Judging people based on looks, well, we now know your true colours...

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

There are lessons in my series of books which warn about the extreme dangers of being unable to "let it go". What's worse than losing a loved one is attempting to "bring them back" via some sick and twisted form of raising the dead. Fair warning: this is NOT a good idea. 🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨ "Before I start, I must see my end. Destination known, my mind's journey now begins. Upon my chariot, heart and soul's fate revealed. In time, all points converge, hope's strength resteeled. But to earn final peace at the universe's endless refrain, we must see all in nothingness... before we start again." 🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨ --Diamond Dragons (book I)

[@JimmyTimmy-wh8dz]

Pet cloning equals human cloning

[@forlatagate1]

Real Cloning is done through sex, not science

[@boris8787]

Would never be allowed in my nature town.

[@SMALLAXE.]

This is absolute bollocks she is imprinting her own feelings about the cat so imagining it's the same characteristics of her old cat because that's what her brain wants to believe she said herself different colour and shape also I was adopted so I know from first hand experience that nature trumps nature/DNA every time therefore the cats character is a product of it's environment/kitten years

[@BuddhatheRockstar]

Disgusting

[@onenation8707]

This shouldn't be allowed - wrong!!