The internet went wild recently when the topic of Tom Brady cloning his dog surfaced, and whether it was rumor, clickbait or half-truth\u2026 one thing is for sure: dog people have very loud feelings about it.<\/p>\n
Would YOU clone your dog?<\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s a question so emotionally triggering that most dog owners instantly want to shut it down. The thought of losing our dog (and then \u201creplacing\u201d them) feels wrong. Creepy. Almost disrespectful to the spirit and soul of the animal who shaped our life.<\/p>\n But as we head into an era where AI, lab-grown meat, cryogenic preservation and yes, animal cloning, are no longer sci-fi\u2026 this conversation is now unavoidable.<\/p>\n Tom Brady\u2019s story just poured gasoline all over it.<\/p>\n Insiders across the pet world started buzzing when it was rumored Brady had looked into cloning one of his beloved dogs.<\/p>\n Whether he did or didn\u2019t isn\u2019t even the point anymore.<\/p>\n Dog lovers were instantly split in half:<\/p>\n the \u201cscience is cool and life is short \u2014 why not?\u201d crowd<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n the \u201cABSOLUTELY NOT. A dog is a soul, not a template.\u201d crowd<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Social media lit up with disgust, shock, and heartbreak. Because for most of us\u2026 we love our dogs in a way that is so personal, so irrational, so emotional \u2014 that the idea of \u201creplicating\u201d them feels like stripping the magic out of it.<\/p>\n Cloning isn\u2019t making a copy<\/em> of your dog.<\/p>\n It is making a genetic twin, created in a lab, using DNA taken from your dog\u2019s skin or tissue sample.<\/p>\n Companies charge anywhere from $50,000-$150,000<\/strong> to clone a single dog.<\/p>\n The cloned dog won\u2019t have:<\/p>\n the exact same personality<\/p>\n<\/li>\n the exact same learned behaviors<\/p>\n<\/li>\n the exact same lived experiences<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n So what people THINK they are buying (their dog back) is not what cloning actually gives them.<\/p>\n You are buying a possibility. A version. A \u201clookalike.\u201d<\/p>\n The primary company for dog cloning is<\/p>\n ViaGen Pets & Equine<\/u><\/strong>, which was recently acquired by Colossal Biosciences<\/u><\/strong>. Other companies involved in the pet cloning industry include PETernity Genetics<\/u><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n ViaGen Pets & Equine:<\/strong> A U.S.-based company that uses somatic cell nuclear transfer<\/u> to clone pets, which is the same technology they use for horses and livestock. Tom Brady recently used this service to clone his dog.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Colossal Biosciences:<\/strong> This company acquired ViaGen Pets & Equine, and uses the combined technology for pet cloning as well as cloning endangered species.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n PETernity Genetics:<\/strong> This company also provides dog, cat, and equine cloning services, with over 15 years of experience in the field.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Tom Brady\u2019s dog Junie is a clone of his late dog Lua.<\/p>\n After Lua, whom the retired quarterback shared with ex-wife Gisele B\u00fcndchen and their children, died in December 2023, he welcomed another, similar-looking dog, Junie. Nearly two years later, Brady has revealed that Junie is a clone of the late pit bull mix.<\/p>\n Brady shared the news on Tuesday, Nov. 4, coinciding with an announcement from Colossal Biosciences, a biotech company that he is an investor in, and that worked with him to clone his beloved Lua. On Nov. 4, the Dallas-based company, best known for its headline-making claim that it produced three dire wolf pups<\/u>, announced that it has acquired another biotech company, Viagen Pets and Equine<\/u>.<\/p>\n Viagen Pets is known for cloning the dog of Barbra Streisand named Samantha<\/u>, who died in 2017, and Paris Hilton<\/u>\u2019s dog Diamond Baby into two puppies after the pet went missing in 2022. The biotech company has \u201cexclusive licensing and access to the breakthrough technologies\u201d that were developed by the Roslin Institute of Edinburgh, which is widely known for cloning Dolly the Sheep<\/u> in the late \u201890s, Viagen said in a press release obtained by PEOPLE magazine.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBarbra Streisand was devoted to Sammie,\u201d a source tells PEOPLE. \u201cAt home in Malibu, he followed her around wherever she went. He was truly a loving companion. Her best friend.\u201d<\/p>\n Brady\u2019s late pet Lua was cloned using blood collected prior to her death in 2023, the Colossal investor said in a statement. \u201cI love my animals. They mean the world to me and my family,\u201d the former NFL star said. \u201cA few years ago, I worked with Colossal and leveraged their non-invasive cloning technology through a simple blood draw of our family’s elderly dog before she passed.\u201d<\/p>\n The company \u201cgave my family a second chance with a clone of our beloved dog,\u201d Brady continued, adding that he is \u201cexcited how Colossal and Viagen’s tech together can help both families losing their beloved pets while helping to save endangered species.\u201d<\/p>\n Because dogs are not baseball cards.<\/p>\n Dogs are not collectibles.<\/p>\n Dogs are not replaceable objects.<\/p>\n Dogs are memory, connection, soul, energy, timing, inside jokes, quirks, trauma bonding, routines, comfort\u2026 LIFE.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s why this topic hits harder than almost any other trending pet debate. Cloning is not the answer.<\/p>\n Dog cloning raises MAJOR ethical issues:<\/p>\n the health risks to \u201csurrogate dogs\u201d used in the cloning process<\/p>\n<\/li>\n high rates of failed pregnancies & failed embryos<\/p>\n<\/li>\n shortened lifespan + unknown long term issues<\/p>\n<\/li>\n exploitation of female dogs used for egg harvesting<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Scientists have been extremely divided, but many animal welfare experts call cloning \u201ca billion dollar grief monetization machine.\u201d<\/p>\n A 2024 New York Post Article titled “The $50,000 dog-cloning business is booming \u2014 and has a five-month waitlist” talks about Austin, a New York City businessman, who spent $50,400 to have his Yorkshire terrier Caesar, who passed away, cloned. Getting a new puppy from a breeder wouldn\u2019t do.<\/p>\n \u201cI could not get a strange dog; I was so heartbroken and emotionally attached and going through this was a way to get a bit of Caesar back,\u2019\u2019 the sexagenarian, who asked to go by his middle name for professional reasons, told The Post. \u201cI wanted to continue his bloodline, and he was neutered as a baby. The simple answer is, I didn\u2019t want another dog; I wanted Caesar\u2019s offspring. For me, this was the only way to move forward.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n To clone a pet, tissue cells are harvested, cultured and frozen before or just after the animal dies. ViaGen charges $150 annually, on top of an initial $1,600 collection fee, for those looking to store frozen tissue samples. Austin has been thrilled with the results. He had two embryos successfully implant, and his cloned puppies, Julius and Henry, are now 4-months-old.<\/p>\n While costly, customers have said that it\u2019s not just wealthy pet lovers opting for cloning. At one point, the company offered financing for cloned animals but it no longer does.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the viral question. Here\u2019s the truth most dog behaviorists, trainers, and ethical breeders agree on:<\/p>\n What makes your dog \u201cyour dog\u201d isn\u2019t the DNA or genetic material. Cloning animals is trying to shortcut grief. But grief deserves to be felt. Processed. Honored.<\/p>\n Dogs are not meant to be recycled. The cloning process does not guarantee the same animal or beloved pet.<\/p>\n If you are deeply attached to the idea of carrying forward a legacy from a dog you adored:<\/p>\n adopt a dog with a similar breed<\/p>\n<\/li>\n choose a rescue with a similar temperament \/ energy profile<\/p>\n<\/li>\n work with an ethical breeder who prioritizes health + temperament<\/p>\n<\/li>\n save \/ celebrate your dog\u2019s stories \u2014 not their genome<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Your dog\u2019s impact doesn\u2019t end when their body does. They changed YOU forever \u2014 and you bring that into every dog relationship after them.<\/p>\n Technology is getting ahead of emotion. And cloning plays directly into the fear every dog parent lives with \u2014 losing our best friend.<\/p>\n But the beauty of dogs is that they are temporary. Precious because of the limit. Worth everything because they cannot stay forever.<\/p>\n Their magic is not in their cells\u2026 PRIDE+GROOM<\/strong> was born because a group of New York City dog lovers wanted the same level of grooming products for their dogs that they themselves enjoyed. They looked (hard) but nothing was up to snuff. Or sniff. Like so many, we love our families and take pride in our homes, and we consider our pets to be integral parts of those entities. That said, we could not find an effective way to coif them that was on par with the way we tended to our children, our homes, or ourselves. These beloved pets are allowed on the furniture and in our beds, and yet even when fresh from the groomer, we knew they did not smell or feel as good as they could.<\/p>\n With the development of our coat-specific shampoos, conditioner and deodorizing spray, we think we found just the way to say thanks for being the best and the sweetest MVP of the house. Skin and coat health is very important to us.<\/p>\n PRIDE+GROOM is the first dog grooming brand launched under a beauty platform, with formulas made in a clean beauty and scent lab. We know beauty is not only skin deep. We did a ton of research to create the entire line. Each product is formulated with its own unique blend of essential oils sourced from around the world.<\/p>\nThe Tom Brady Cloning Fallout<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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What Is Dog Cloning \u2014 Really?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Which Companies Actually Clone Dogs?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Tom Brady’s Beloved Pet<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nWhy Dog Lovers and Fans Are So Upset About This<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The Ethics Problem of Dog Cloning<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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So Would YOU Clone Your Dog?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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It\u2019s the bond you BUILT with them.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/7412\/9229\/files\/dogs_jpg.webp?v=1762783273\")
<\/p>\nThe Healthier Way to \u201cContinue\u201d Your Dog Instead of Dog Cloning<\/h3>\n
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Final Takeaway \u2014 The Tom Brady Dog Cloning Story is a Wake Up Call<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Grief is becoming a business model.<\/p>\n
it\u2019s in the years we got to love them.<\/p>\nWHO IS PRIDE+GROOM?<\/strong><\/h2>\n