It’s hard to believe a year has passed since that monumental day in February 2016 when ViaGen Pets’ first American-born cloned puppy, Nubia, was born. We’ve loved receiving numerous photos and updates from Nubia’s pet parents this past year and look forward to many more in the coming years. We asked Nubia’s family what life has been like with a cloned puppy; their response follows.
“When my girl was dying, and could hardly breath, she still lifted her head and gave me a few last kisses on my cheek. Her passing hurt me so bad, I did not really function well for the next several years. I have a science background and had previously sent a tissue sample to ViaGen to establish her cell line. I want to give credit to several pioneer owners of dog clones who shared their stories with me and provided insight into the realities of the process as I tried to come to grips with the possibility of seeing my dog’s genetic twin return. Comments like “Son, what can I tell you. She looks the same, smells the same, and has most of the same habits and I never taught any of them to her. I spent many hours on the internet and contacted owners who had no prior contact with me or with ViaGen. They all unanimously spoke well, if realistically, of the cloning experience.”
“It was a long process waiting for my new little girl. Seeing her kiss “Daddy Dennis ” on Skype and chatting with Shawn Walker and Melain Rodriguez about the technical and financial aspects gave me the reassurance that all would be well and that ViaGen was a premier scientific company comprised of caring people. When I met Leslie Rodriguez and she handed me my new little girl I was so hopeful that my girl really would return in some form. As the weeks passed and I watched her grow and bond to me, doing many of her old tricks with no input from me, it became clear that something special was occurring. I was holding her one afternoon, scratching her tummy, and I called her by her old name, asking if she liked the tummy scratch. She turned, looked into my eyes, and it was obvious to me, a person who did not contemplate soul transfer, reincarnation or anything similar, that my girl was present, happy, and at peace in my arms once again. She has a new young healthy body to share. She can run free and is not short of breath. Together we can look forward to years of happiness and perhaps a litter of puppies. My male dog has become her best chum and they terrorize the house with their play antics.”
“Thank you for your support and guidance through all of this.” – Nubia’s Dad