Claim: Influencers are cloning their pets to maintain the 'legacy' of their popularity

Question

According to the article, pet cloning has became a trend to social influencers. The article interviewed a influencer who agreed it was true. Apparently, they preserve the pet cells and them clone them from a company. They also stated that many celebrities participated in the cloning.

The article seems pretty factual but I still feel a bit skeptical about the whole thing. I mean I wouldn't be surprised but, I feel like most influencers wouldn't go out of their way to clone an animal.

Answer 1

This is true. The article references a TODAY interview with influencer Courtney Udvar Hazy who did clone her first dog Willow to preserve her "bloodline and legacy." However, this is not necessarily becoming a trend because so far, as it is highly expensive to clone pets. It costs $35,000 just to clone a cat as stated in the TODAY segment. Courtney herself also stated that she didn't want this to become a trend.

The interview can be found here:

https://people.com/pets/influencers-are-cloning-pets-for-social-media/

The article also mentions Barbaba Streisand who had her old dog cloned. She describes the process in a Variety interview that can be found here:

https://variety.com/2018/film/news/barbra-streisand-oscars-sexism-in-hollywood-clone-dogs-1202710585/

Comments

Nice work providing multiple sources. Don't forget to rate the claim within your fact-check's explanation (true, false, opinion, etc.).

Answer 2

The individual that cloned their pet didn't do it to maintain popularity, rather it seemed to be for a personal reason.

An article posted to Today.com has also shared the same story of Courtney Udvar-Hazy cloning her dog, Willow. The article discusses how Udvar-Hazy believed that Willow was her "soul dog," and that she wanted to continue Willow's legacy. While it is true that Udvar-Hazy did clone her dog, she explains how, "I don't believe cloning should become a trend. I hope it doesn't, pray it doesn't, because I don't think it's something that should be overused or overdone.

https://www.today.com/pets/pets/social-media-influencers-are-cloning-pets-rcna20821

Comments

Don't forget to add a rating like true, false, opinion, etc. Based on your fact-check and explanation, I'm not sure how you'd rate the claim.

Answer 3

The claim that pet cloning has become a trend among social media influencers and celebrities is some what True. The article cited describes how cloning pets has become popular among some social media influencers and celebrities, who have used companies like ViaGen Pets & Equine to preserve their pets' cells and create genetically identical clones. The article cites an interview with a social media influencer who confirmed that she had cloned her dog using ViaGen Pets & Equine, and other celebrities like Barbra Streisand have also publicly acknowledged cloning their pets.

However, it is important to note that while the article provides evidence that cloning pets has become a trend among some social media influencers and celebrities, it does not necessarily suggest that this is a widespread phenomenon among all influencers or pet owners. The article also highlights concerns raised by animal welfare organizations about the practice of pet cloning and the potential impact it may have on the homeless-animal population crisis.

https://www.insider.com/kelly-anderson-does-not-regret-cat-cloning-videos-2022-4