SAN FRANCISCO – The fur is flying in California as critics spar over a Bay Area company that charges $32,000 to clone an owner's cat.
Genetic Savings and Clone (search) promises to create "copy cats" of pets that are genetically-identical to the original animal.
But some groups say the practice is questionable and the company is playing on the emotions of bereaved pet owners. They also say the procedure is reprehensible since so many cats that could be adopted are put to sleep every year.
"We don't know how long these animals will live or if they will have health consequences as a result of cloning ... and so you could have people that have broken hearts, and down the line, this animal, who they have put so much money into and feel so strongly about, who knows what could happen with them," said Crystal Miller-Spiegel of the American Anti-Vivisection Society (search).
But the company defends the business.
"For grieving clients, we counsel them that they're not going to be getting their pet back. We make sure that if what they really want is a new pet with as many qualities as possible that their favorite pet had, well, we can do that," said Genetic Savings and Clone spokesman Ben Carlson.
Nonetheless, critics are backing legislation to ban the sale and transport of cloned animals in California. If passed, it would be the first of its kind.
Click on the video box above for a complete report by Fox News' Claudia Cowan.
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