Will Cloning Pets Become a Commercial Trend?

Some people let their dogs eat at the dinner table. Others put them in their wills. Still others value the life of animals over human life even above that of their own relatives. Where I live wealthy people pay to have their dogs massaged. Therefore, baring some sort of ban, it's inevitable.

Losing a pet isn't like losing a close relative (human), and there are some wealthy persons who may pay for a clone job, however the mainstream average joe or doe, will not opt for the clone job. It really isn't the same animal as you originally had and the closeness just isn't there, as each animal's traits are different, and are subject to the upbringing, training & loving care given while young. You cannot duplicate certain traits. Cloning will never become a big deal, most likely a fad that will fade into obscurity.

Agree with oWell and Tempus - will stay way too expensive for it to be a trend, though a few celebrities may do it for "shock value". Additionally, a lot of long term dog/cat owners in the general population are aware that the natural loss of an old pet is a part of having a pet, though an upsetting one. And while it sounds callous, I would be that it is a moderately large part of why parents get children pets, as a learning experience on how to deal with emotional attachment, and then emotional loss, and hopefully emotional reattachment.

Also, my family have avoided getting look-alike dogs when they pass on, to avoid emotional confusion. So far my family has had during my life: 1 black/white wiry terrier; 1 all black "heinz-variety"; 1 fox terrier; 1 blue-heeler cross. Each dog is it's own unique personality, and each dog has been brought into the family for what it can bring, not in memory of it's predecessors.

So here are the options:
a) Don't get a new dog/cat. Very rare for anyone who has had a dog/cat to never get a new one, especially if they had a long-term pet as a child. Some people may "say" they'd never get a pet again, but either they get seduced by puppy eyes, or adopted by a stray cat. My late grandfather is a prime example of this. When his dog died (age 17yrs) "I'm to old to have a pet." he ended up getting adopted by stray cats ... twice. No opportunity for cloners to profit here, as pet-buying is often a spontaneous decision when it occurs, and non-pet buying is a response to the actual loss of the pet, rather than the absence of said pet.
b) Get a new pet, but one that is different from it's predecessors. Again, no opportunity for a cloning company to make a buck here. Most of the people with mutts or moggys would fit into this cat-egory. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
c) Get a new pet that looks like it's predecessors. Most pet owners know that even a clone won't actually be like it's originator, so if it's appearance you're after, why not go for a dog that is close and moderately inexpensive. I suspect this is where most of the sales of pure-breeds comes from.
d) Get a clone. Expensive, potentially riddled with DNA defects, and still not the originator dog. As cost goes down, some people will probably feel the emotional need to do this, but I bet most of them end up disappointed.

right. perhaps it would be very popular among celebrities.

It will stay too expensive to be a trend for quite some time. Also, a lot of people will dislike it for ethical, psychological and like reasons.

Another kind of crazy science. Why is it so hard for human to accept death as a fact of life?

I hate this technology as the critics said:

"Many people consider pets to be part of our families," Marcy Darnovsky, associate director of the Oakland-based Center for Genetics and Society, said in a statement. "If we get used to cute cloned puppies, will some people expect cute cloned babies next?"

However, it will become a commercial trend in the developed countries where people take pets as own children.