How Tom Brady, celebrities are cloning their pets

(NewsNation) —  Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady revealed his current dog is actually a marvel of science Tuesday.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion said his pit bull mix Junie is actually a clone of his now-deceased dog, Lua. The clone was created by “de-extinction” company Colossal Biosciences, of which Brady is reportedly an investor.

“I love my animals,” Brady said in a statement. “They mean the world to me and my family. A few years ago, I worked with Colossal and leveraged their non-invasive cloning technology through a simple blood draw of our family’s elderly dog before she passed.”

The news came on the same day Colossal Biosciences, which also announced plans in 2023 to bring back the dodo bird, acquired Viagen Pets and Equine, another animal cloning company that got its start in livestock and genetic preservation.

Viagen has successfully cloned 15 species, including the black-footed ferret and Przewalski’s horse. It has also collected gene cultures of 22 threatened or endangered species, such as the Florida bonneted bat and the white rhino.

Matt James, Colossal Biosciences’ chief animal officer, joined “NewsNation “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” to discuss how cloning occurs.

“Now all we really need is a blood sample. We still rely on other types of tissues as well, like cheek swabs and tissue biopsies, but using the technology today, Colossal is able to clone from simply a small blood draw,” James told NewsNation.

Despite being a clone, Junie is not a replica of his deceased pet, according to James.

“Each of these dogs, the clones, tend to have their own sort of nurture about them. Even though their nature is exactly the same, they have a unique nature,” he said.

James said that Brady and other clients are thrilled with the results of pet cloning. The costs for cloning a dog are around $50,000 and $85,000 for a horse.

“Some people do it because there’s specific physical or personality traits that they’re after, and other people do it because it helps the family heal,” he explained.

The Associated Press and NewsNation affiliate WFLA contributed to this report.