Photo: KIM JAE-HWAN/AFP via GettyCloning pets is becoming the latest trend for social media influencers.Courtney Udvar-Hazy, who has a popular social media accountdedicated to her dog Willow, recently spoke toTODAYabout cloning her canine after the pet died four years ago. She told the outlet that she usedViaGen Pets & Equine— a company that will preserve your pet’s cells and then clone a beloved furry friend — to make six clones of Willow.“Willow was just insanely special. She was my soul dog. I wanted her bloodline and her legacy to continue,” Udvar-Hazy told the outlet.“I went into it with zero expectation,” she continued. “I knew that it would be similar to identical twins in humans. Completely different animal, completely different soul, completely different personality, but genetically identical.“Since the cloning process, Udvar-Hazy — who monetizes her social media — has maintained the account with Willow’s clones. Influencer Kelly Anderson cloned her cat Chai after the pet died at a young age and runs her monetized Instagram account with the animal’s clone, per TODAY.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via GettyCloning a dog with Texas-based ViaGen costs $50,000, while cloning a cat costs $35,000 and $85,000 for a horse. ViaGen expects more influencers to become clients and hopes their prices can soon becomeaffordable for everyday pet owners.“There are a handful of our clients that have a social media presence,” ViaGen client service manager Melain Rodriguez told TODAY. “That’s definitely going to grow.“Celebrities outside social media have also cloned their pets.Barbra Streisandpreviously revealed in February 2018 that she had cells taken from her dog Samantha, whodied in 2017, to use the samples to make clones of the canine.A year later, the singer shared a photo of her two cloned dogs — Scarlet and Violet — sitting next to Samantha’s grave. Streisand’s other dog, Fanny, came from Samantha’s breeder.“The twins Scarlet and Violet honoring their mom (with cousin Fanny in the center!),” Streisand captioned the post at the time.After Streisand’s revealed that Scarlet and Violet are clones, PETA’s president Ingrid Newkirk issued a statement to Page Sixdiscouraging people from cloning animals, noting that “cloning adds to the homeless-animal population crisis” since other animals remain in shelters.The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has also criticized the practice, noting that there are “important welfare concerns” in astatement. The organization also expressed the need for a “scientific and ethical analysis of the procedures and practices” of cloning.

Photo: KIM JAE-HWAN/AFP via Getty

Clones of a US woman’s late beloved former pitbull terrier, are on display at the Seoul National University animal hospital in Seoul on August 5, 2008. Five cloned dogs were created by South Korean scientists in the world’s first commercial cloning of a pet dog. AFP PHOTO/KIM JAE-HWAN (Photo credit should read KIM JAE-HWAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Cloning pets is becoming the latest trend for social media influencers.Courtney Udvar-Hazy, who has a popular social media accountdedicated to her dog Willow, recently spoke toTODAYabout cloning her canine after the pet died four years ago. She told the outlet that she usedViaGen Pets & Equine— a company that will preserve your pet’s cells and then clone a beloved furry friend — to make six clones of Willow.“Willow was just insanely special. She was my soul dog. I wanted her bloodline and her legacy to continue,” Udvar-Hazy told the outlet.“I went into it with zero expectation,” she continued. “I knew that it would be similar to identical twins in humans. Completely different animal, completely different soul, completely different personality, but genetically identical.“Since the cloning process, Udvar-Hazy — who monetizes her social media — has maintained the account with Willow’s clones. Influencer Kelly Anderson cloned her cat Chai after the pet died at a young age and runs her monetized Instagram account with the animal’s clone, per TODAY.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via GettyCloning a dog with Texas-based ViaGen costs $50,000, while cloning a cat costs $35,000 and $85,000 for a horse. ViaGen expects more influencers to become clients and hopes their prices can soon becomeaffordable for everyday pet owners.“There are a handful of our clients that have a social media presence,” ViaGen client service manager Melain Rodriguez told TODAY. “That’s definitely going to grow.“Celebrities outside social media have also cloned their pets.Barbra Streisandpreviously revealed in February 2018 that she had cells taken from her dog Samantha, whodied in 2017, to use the samples to make clones of the canine.A year later, the singer shared a photo of her two cloned dogs — Scarlet and Violet — sitting next to Samantha’s grave. Streisand’s other dog, Fanny, came from Samantha’s breeder.“The twins Scarlet and Violet honoring their mom (with cousin Fanny in the center!),” Streisand captioned the post at the time.After Streisand’s revealed that Scarlet and Violet are clones, PETA’s president Ingrid Newkirk issued a statement to Page Sixdiscouraging people from cloning animals, noting that “cloning adds to the homeless-animal population crisis” since other animals remain in shelters.The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has also criticized the practice, noting that there are “important welfare concerns” in astatement. The organization also expressed the need for a “scientific and ethical analysis of the procedures and practices” of cloning.

Cloning pets is becoming the latest trend for social media influencers.

Courtney Udvar-Hazy, who has a popular social media accountdedicated to her dog Willow, recently spoke toTODAYabout cloning her canine after the pet died four years ago. She told the outlet that she usedViaGen Pets & Equine— a company that will preserve your pet’s cells and then clone a beloved furry friend — to make six clones of Willow.

“Willow was just insanely special. She was my soul dog. I wanted her bloodline and her legacy to continue,” Udvar-Hazy told the outlet.

“I went into it with zero expectation,” she continued. “I knew that it would be similar to identical twins in humans. Completely different animal, completely different soul, completely different personality, but genetically identical.”

Since the cloning process, Udvar-Hazy — who monetizes her social media — has maintained the account with Willow’s clones. Influencer Kelly Anderson cloned her cat Chai after the pet died at a young age and runs her monetized Instagram account with the animal’s clone, per TODAY.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty

This picture taken on June 29, 2016 shows cloned dogs in a glass-fronted pen at a care room of the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation, a world leader in pet cloning, in Seoul. Sooam Biotech clones many animals, including cattle and pigs for medical research and breed preservation, but is best known for its commercial dog service. Since 2006, the facility has cloned nearly 800 dogs, commissioned by owners or state agencies seeking to replicate their best sniffer and rescue dogs. / AFP / JUNG YEON-JE / TO GO WITH Science-genetics-cloning-pets-SKorea,FEATURE by Jung Ha-Won (Photo credit should read JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images)

Cloning a dog with Texas-based ViaGen costs $50,000, while cloning a cat costs $35,000 and $85,000 for a horse. ViaGen expects more influencers to become clients and hopes their prices can soon becomeaffordable for everyday pet owners.

“There are a handful of our clients that have a social media presence,” ViaGen client service manager Melain Rodriguez told TODAY. “That’s definitely going to grow.”

Celebrities outside social media have also cloned their pets.

Barbra Streisandpreviously revealed in February 2018 that she had cells taken from her dog Samantha, whodied in 2017, to use the samples to make clones of the canine.

A year later, the singer shared a photo of her two cloned dogs — Scarlet and Violet — sitting next to Samantha’s grave. Streisand’s other dog, Fanny, came from Samantha’s breeder.

“The twins Scarlet and Violet honoring their mom (with cousin Fanny in the center!),” Streisand captioned the post at the time.

After Streisand’s revealed that Scarlet and Violet are clones, PETA’s president Ingrid Newkirk issued a statement to Page Sixdiscouraging people from cloning animals, noting that “cloning adds to the homeless-animal population crisis” since other animals remain in shelters.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has also criticized the practice, noting that there are “important welfare concerns” in astatement. The organization also expressed the need for a “scientific and ethical analysis of the procedures and practices” of cloning.

source: people.com