Marin Humane Society Condemns Commercial Cloning of Companion Animals and Calls for Legislative Intervention
Costly practice uses imperfect technology that leads to increased animal suffering
(NOVATO, CALIF., May 22, 2008) — The Marin Humane Society today publicly denounced the commercial cloning of companion animals, emphasizing that pet cloning companies are using imperfect and costly technology to profit from grieving pet guardians while there are millions of homeless animals available for adoption in shelters across the country. The statement comes on the heels of an announcement that a Mill Valley biotech company is planning a number of online auctions next month to clone five dogs, with the bidding starting at $100,000.
The Marin Humane Society and the Humane Society of the United States agree that pet cloning is a relatively new and imperfect technology with a low survival rate for cloned embryos. Cloned animals that actually survive birth can suffer from a wide range of medical complications. Plus, surrogate mothers are subject to invasive procedures. Shockingly, the pet cloning industry operates with no regulatory oversight.
“I believe that the Marin community will be just as appalled about this as we are and supports our call for legislative intervention to regulate this dubious activity,” says MHS Executive Director Neil Trent. “Commercial pet cloning companies have you think that they can give you an exact copy of your companion animal. But pets are not commodities and cloning can never replicate an animal’s uniqueness. We hope that people will continue to turn to animal shelters where the pets are all unique, one-of-a-kind individuals.”
Founded in 1907, The Marin Humane Society is a progressive, award-winning animal shelter, offering refuge and rehabilitation to nearly 8,000 animals each year through a variety of community services, including adoptions, foster care, behavior and training, humane education, lost and found pet services, low-cost clinics, and much more. For more information about the Marin Humane Society, visit MarinHumaneSociety.org. Rescue, rehabilitate & rehome.
CONTACT:
Carrie Harrington
Communications Manager
Marin Humane Society
(415) 506-6256
charrington@MarinHumaneSociety.org
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