Watching this on TLC now. Well, actually flipping between two shows.

$50,0000

I respect and honor their grief. I understand it.

However, there is only one Indy. I also think we are a sum of experiences and life lessons, even dogs. I have a really hard time believeing that a cloned dog would have the same spirit. Perhaps they would be alike enough, and grow into the same relationship. How disappointing would it be to have a dog, so alike, but just not the same, as you expected this clone to be?

There truly was one amazing, incredible Indy. Your relationship with her was equally as amazing, so rich and rewarding for both of you.

I too think it would feel slightly hollow to try for the same connection with an animal that looked eerily similar, but just wasn't one's own missed dog or cat. We adore the special, loved spirit, not the form alone.

I watched that show also. I'm sorry, but unless I was rich enough to have that kind of money to throw around, I would not be spending it on cloning a dead pet.
A National barrel racing Champion paid $150,000 to have her gelding Scamper cloned. Clayton was born in 2006 and is a genetic clone to Scamper except he has white on his forehead. So now she has a stallion to carry on Scampers genetics

Weird, weird, weird!

I watched it and was just mystified at the waste of money...

The part where the "dog whisperer" analyzed puppy Blue was ridiculous...all in all, I'd say it is a bunch of people who really don't understand cloning.

I missed it. I have some real reservations about cloning anyway. This would never be the same dog or cat, would only have same genetics. Environment plays a good part in how we turn out and I think these people would eventually end up disappointed if the cloned pet ended up not measuring up.

I think we tend to make our past pets that we miss so much larger than life as we gloss over any negative side or imperfections they had (and we all have a negative side to us). Then we become disappointed.

I watch PBR Bull Riding and there have been a few bulls that have been cloned. Here is some info not all the clones even survived and none have been as good as the animal they were cloned from. But I see the fee for a bull clone is a LOT cheaper than a pet, hum preying on peoples emotions.

http://www.bullwriting.com/2011/03/clone-facts.html

I am not in favor of the cloning.

There are serious health issues associated with cloning as well. Because of the unraveling of the telomeres at the end of the DNA strand, clones don't tend to live a full lifespan.

There will only be one Benny and I think it is disrespectful to clone a beloved pet. They are irreplaceable and irrepeatable to me

I have many dogs, and a horse waiting for me on the other side of the veil that separates this life from the next

The last I knew there was no shortage of dogs. Is there a breed on the verge of going extinct? Not the GSD anyway.
Every dog is different and every dog so far has taught me something more.

Now as to past discussions about people not placing pups with old geezers -- when I reach old geezerhood (on the horizon I think) I might consider cloning if I needed to do that to get a dog or pup. From the cost of it, it would seem that this scenario would also include winning a substantial lottery!

I haven't watched the show but I stand with the consensus here. A cloned pet is not the same as your previous pet aside from genetics. We are the sum of our experiences coupled with our genes. Unless you can replicate to the T every experience your dog had growing up in the exact same way, there is no way they would be the same animal. And, we all know, such replication is impossible. Besides, whose to say their spirit/soul would return as well?

No, I believe we're all one of a kind. And that's that way it should be. Certainly I will be crushed when Risa passes on. No dog. . .not even a genetic clone, could replace her.

Besides, we all know identical twins who are anything but. Genetically, they are natural clones. But they're not the same person! Why would anyone think it would be any different with our pets?