In a quiet corner of Shropshire, a unique operation is making waves in the world of pet ownership. Gemini Genetics, Europe’s only pet cloning lab, has been helping bereaved pet lovers bring their cherished animals back to life—at least genetically. Established in 2019, this lab initially specialized in breeding show horses through artificial insemination but soon shifted its focus to cloning a wide range of animals, from kittens to stallions, offering grieving owners a chance to reconnect with a familiar face.
The process itself is as intricate as it is costly. Tissue samples, often taken within five days of a pet’s passing, are sent to the lab where DNA is extracted, washed, and cryogenically preserved. Once owners decide to proceed, the samples travel to a partner lab in Texas.
There, the cloning magic happens using somatic-cell nuclear transfer—a method where a donor cell’s nucleus is implanted into an egg cell, which is then charged with an electric current to form an embryo. After a lengthy gestation period—over 11 months for horses—the animals are born in the U.S. before making their way back to the UK. The entire process can cost between £38,000 and £59,000, a steep price for a second chance with a beloved pet.
Lucy Morgan, lab manager at Gemini Genetics, explains the appeal: “Losing a pet is a real grief… unless you’ve ever lost a pet, many may not understand why people want to clone them after their death.” As the industry grows, it’s not just everyday pet owners who are interested. Celebrities like Barbra Streisand, who famously cloned her dog Samantha twice, have added a touch of star power to the trend.
One of Gemini Genetics’ most notable cases is that of Bijoux, a young husky chow who tragically died in a roadside accident. Her owners, Ian Clague and Dominika Sojka, turned to cloning as a way to hold on to the connection they had with their pet. “It transformed the feeling from one of sadness to hope we may be able to restore her,” Ian shared.
While the science behind cloning has come a long way since Dolly the sheep’s groundbreaking birth in 1996, it remains a controversial topic. The process has advanced, offering a much higher efficiency rate than in Dolly’s day. Yet, the ethical debate around cloning rages on, with many animal welfare organizations, like the RSPCA, raising significant concerns.
They argue that cloning treats animals as commodities, and the process itself can involve considerable distress and physical suffering. An RSPCA spokesperson explained, “A cloned animal is never going to be an exact copy of the original pet, either in looks or behaviour… Cloning animals requires procedures that cause pain and distress, with high failure and mortality rates.”
Despite these concerns, demand for pet cloning has grown, with Gemini Genetics cloning about 1,000 animals each year. The lab’s work isn’t limited to recreating pets for grieving owners—it’s also seen as a potential safeguard against extinction for endangered species.
The company holds DNA samples from a range of zoo animals, from elephants to tropical frogs, hoping to one day use these genetic archives to preserve species that might otherwise disappear.
For those who see cloning as a way to keep a piece of their departed pet, the service offers hope and a sense of continuity. For others, the high price tag and ethical dilemmas are hard to reconcile. But whatever the viewpoint, Gemini Genetics’ work raises profound questions about love, loss, and the lengths people will go to preserve a cherished bond. As cloning technology continues to evolve, so too will the debate around what it means to truly give a pet “a second chance.”
