Losing a dog is a universal experience of pain, leaving a void that often feels impossible to fill. But what if the healing process didn’t require saying goodbye forever? What if you had the power to literally bring them back—not as a fading memory, but as a genetically identical, breathing puppy? That is the extraordinary, and highly controversial, choice recently made by legendary quarterback Tom Brady. Following the passing of his beloved pit bull mix, Lua, Brady utilized a groundbreaking, and staggeringly expensive, commercial service to create her living genetic twin, Junie.
If you had the chance, and the resources, would you choose to clone your pet?
For Sophomore Patrick Musi, having a dog isn’t just a casual thing—he’s been a pet owner since he was around seven years old. That kind of long history gives Patrick a genuine perspective on the strong and significant connection a person develops with their dog over the years.
“Honestly, I probably wouldn’t clone my dog because it comes down to a feeling of betrayal. I think trying to replace him with a copy, even if it looks the same, would ruin the special bond we have,” said Patrick.
Sophomore Evan Myrtil, an important member of the Boys Varsity Baseball team, has enjoyed a close relationship with his dog, Kiwi, for a few years. Emphasizing the dog’s big role in the family, Evan’s mother even runs an Instagram account dedicated solely to sharing Kiwi’s daily activities with followers.
“I really like Kiwi a lot, and honestly, she’s a huge part of our family. That’s why, even if I had the money, I don’t think I could go through with cloning her. It’s a strange feeling, but it genuinely feels like I would be betraying her in a way. The bond we have is unique, and trying to replace her with a genetic copy, even one that looks identical, just doesn’t feel right. I feel like cloning would undervalue all the memories we actually made together,” he said.
Sophomore Andres Marquina, who plays on the Boys JV Soccer Team, is a relatively new dog owner but has clearly made a great connection. Even though he only got his dog recently, Andres reports that they have quickly formed a close relationship.
“Even though he only joined the family recently, the bond we’ve established is already incredibly strong; he’s a huge part of my life now. Because that connection feels so immediate and special, I believe our time together should be valued. I don’t think I would clone him because I want to respect the relationship we have right now,” he said.
Despite the scientific option available to the very wealthy Tom Brady, these ILS students interviewed reject the idea of cloning their beloved pets, feeling that it ultimately constitutes a betrayal in prioritizing the unique and irreplaceable emotional bond with their current, one-of-a-kind pet. In the end, they believe true companionship is something technology can never replicate.
