In a stunning revelation that merges cutting-edge science with celebrity lifestyle, NFL legend Tom Brady has been confirmed to have cloned his beloved English bulldog, a story that reads more like science fiction than sports news.
The Secret Procedure
According to documents obtained by The Guardian, the seven-time Super Bowl champion paid approximately £40,000 to biotech company Viagen Pets to create a genetic replica of his dog. The cloning took place several years ago, though Brady has never publicly acknowledged the procedure.
The Science Behind Pet Cloning
The process involved extracting DNA from Brady's original bulldog and implanting it into a surrogate dog. Viagen Pets, now owned by the controversial Colossal Biosciences – a company better known for its ambitious plans to resurrect the woolly mammoth – specialises in commercial pet cloning services.
Dr. Blake Chapman, a veterinary science expert, explains: "The technology works by taking a skin sample from the original animal, cultivating the cells, and then transferring the nucleus into an egg cell that has had its own nucleus removed. The resulting embryo is then implanted into a surrogate mother."
Ethical Questions Surface
The revelation has sparked intense debate among animal welfare organisations and bioethicists. Critics argue that while the technology exists, the ethical implications remain deeply troubling.
- Animal welfare concerns regarding surrogate mothers
- Questions about creating life for commercial purposes
- Debate over whether clones truly replicate the original pet's personality
- Moral considerations of spending large sums on pet cloning
Celebrity Trend or Isolated Incident?
Brady isn't the first celebrity to explore pet cloning. Barbra Streisand famously cloned her dog Samantha in 2018, creating two duplicates. However, the practice remains extremely rare and controversial among the general public due to both cost and ethical concerns.
The Future of Pet Cloning
With Colossal Biosciences now backing Viagen Pets, the commercial pet cloning industry appears poised for growth. The company claims to have cloned "hundreds" of pets for clients worldwide, though exact numbers remain confidential.
As biotechnology continues to advance at a rapid pace, the story of Tom Brady's cloned dog raises fundamental questions about where we draw the line between scientific possibility and ethical responsibility in our relationship with companion animals.
