Post by Brooke on Jan 21, 2004 18:46:50 GMT -5
Pet Cloning Gets Competitive
Betterhumans Staff
Wednesday, December 03, 2003, 4:27:38 PM CT
Remaining hurdles to routine animal cloning haven't prevented growing competition for the production of cloned pets.
US-based Geneticas Life Sciences has announced the launch of ForeverPet, a low-cost service for storing cat, dog and horse DNA for use in producing a clone when the technology is available.
The service, promoted with the slogan "For More Than A Lifetime," enters the market at a time when Sausalito, California-based Genetic Savings & Clone says that it is less than a year away from offering commercial cloning of dogs and cats.
Gene banking
Both companies offer gene banking services for when commercial cloning is available, cryopreserving biopsies to safely store DNA for future use.
ForeverPet is pitched as a low cost alternative.
"With other companies charging upwards of $800 for processing a tissue sample, plus an annual storage fee, many owners became discouraged," says Aniko Kaiser, vice-president of Geneticas Life Sciences.
ForeverPet will allow pet owners to store DNA for less than US$20 a month and with no processing fees.
Better breeding?
While some are against animal cloning because of the number of dogs and cats in shelters up for adoption, Kaiser counters that this argument is flawed.
Owners might feel better about neutering a pet if they know cloning is available, Kaiser says, and only one clone would be produced rather than an entire litter.
Additionally, Kaiser says, owners are less likely to discard cloned animals for disruptive behavior because they would be cloned from pets with known temperaments.
Cloned pets may be vastly different from their originals, however.
It has been reported that Cc the first cloned cat, born in December 2001, has different physical and personality traits from Rainbow, from whom she was cloned.
Betterhumans Staff
Wednesday, December 03, 2003, 4:27:38 PM CT
Remaining hurdles to routine animal cloning haven't prevented growing competition for the production of cloned pets.
US-based Geneticas Life Sciences has announced the launch of ForeverPet, a low-cost service for storing cat, dog and horse DNA for use in producing a clone when the technology is available.
The service, promoted with the slogan "For More Than A Lifetime," enters the market at a time when Sausalito, California-based Genetic Savings & Clone says that it is less than a year away from offering commercial cloning of dogs and cats.
Gene banking
Both companies offer gene banking services for when commercial cloning is available, cryopreserving biopsies to safely store DNA for future use.
ForeverPet is pitched as a low cost alternative.
"With other companies charging upwards of $800 for processing a tissue sample, plus an annual storage fee, many owners became discouraged," says Aniko Kaiser, vice-president of Geneticas Life Sciences.
ForeverPet will allow pet owners to store DNA for less than US$20 a month and with no processing fees.
Better breeding?
While some are against animal cloning because of the number of dogs and cats in shelters up for adoption, Kaiser counters that this argument is flawed.
Owners might feel better about neutering a pet if they know cloning is available, Kaiser says, and only one clone would be produced rather than an entire litter.
Additionally, Kaiser says, owners are less likely to discard cloned animals for disruptive behavior because they would be cloned from pets with known temperaments.
Cloned pets may be vastly different from their originals, however.
It has been reported that Cc the first cloned cat, born in December 2001, has different physical and personality traits from Rainbow, from whom she was cloned.