Pixel was 8 mos old when I “rescued her” from a breeder who was aging and had become overwhelmed with caring for too many animals after the sudden death of her husband. Tiny Pixel was under 2 lbs, dirty, tear stained eyes, had worms,had fleas and ear mites, and needed $3800 worth of dental surgery and bite correction due to an impacted cuspid that was about to perforate her sinus. (She was the very first Pet-Align / doggie version of Invisalign in PA!) I drove 2 1/2 hrs to get her and I just knew the minute I saw her that she was my baby.

At only 2 yrs old, when we went for her first dental prophy, I was told she had a bunch of liver shunts and would probably not live to more than 4 yrs old. We put her on Denamarin (supplement), which she stayed on for the rest of her life. I have no doubt that this wonderful supplement helped her far outlive her “expiration date” given by her team of veterinary specialists.

I was so blessed to have over 15 amazingly wonderful years with my girl! She went to the office with me almost daily, and all of my families loved her. She even vacationed with us in Disney every year and had her own little pink mouse ears. She was our own little Disney Princess!

I made the decision to bank my precious Pixel’s cells with ViaGen when I lost her a few months back. I know I can never replace her, and her cloned “puppy twin” will NOT be Pixel. But I rescued her and never got the pleasure of knowing her as a puppy, so I can’t wait to see what her little clone will be like. Everyone joked that I would clone her one day. Just the thought of that sounded so ridiculous to me, espescaially since I have been and am so involved in animal rescue, and know that there are so many dogs in shelters in need of a good home. But when Pixel stopped eating in January of 2024, and I did her ultrasound in my office and saw the tumor on her liver, I knew she didn’t have long. In desparation and grief, I started researching and found myself ordering the preservation kit from ViaGen, just so I had it available and had the option of banking her cells.

After about a month of hand / tube feeding my sweet girl, she started having seizures and let me know it was time. I didn’t even give it a second thought at that point. The kit went with us, and 15 minutes after I let her go, I gave her body over to my vet to do the tissue biopsies. It was all I could do at the time to make saying goodbye to her just a tiny bit bearable, knowing that I now have the option to honor her being and carry her on, not only in my memories, but with the joy of having a tiny little puppy around that will share her exact DNA and appearance.

I can’t wait to meet her little puppy protege, and to see the similarities and differences. I already have a name for her… her proper name will be “MicroChip’s MegaPixel’s Little Legacy”, and will be called CeCe for short… Pixel’s Little Legacy🙂

Melain and Codi have been wonderful to work with! They have patiently answered every question (and trust me, I’ve had LOTS!) Thank you ladies, and the entire team at ViaGen, for providing such a wonderful service, and for giving me the opportunity to have just a little part of my Pixel back to hang onto and enjoy for many more long years!

One other thing: Please don’t judge anyone considering cloning…
I realize that cloning is controversial and considered even unethical by many. I was once on that team! It’s not for everyone to be sure.

The thing that really locked it in for me was on the day that we had to lay Pixel to rest, my husband was leaving for a business trip. He stopped by the vet’s office to say his goodbyes while I waited for her vet to finish up wtih her patients for the day and then turn her full attention to us. When Joe came in the room, I asked him if he wanted to hold her. He said yes. As he cuddled her with tears streaming down his face, I reminded him that this was the dog that he never wanted and gave me a hard time for bringing home. His response: “yes, but that was when I thought you were bringing home just another dog. She is so much more. She is the most specail, BEST little angel on earth”. YUP! I cannot begin to describe the peace that I have been able to have from banking her cells with ViaGen. I have had several dogs over the years and loved them all dearly. Pixel was my soul puppy. She owned my heart completely. Her passing was the absolute hardest, and also the one I’ve had the most peace with, because I banked her cells. If you are reading this and are at all on the fence, just DO IT! Even if you decide not to initiate cloning, at least you have the options and won’t have any rerets later.

That being said…. Please understand that this will NOT replace your beloved pet. The clone will look alike, but in accordance with the laws of “nature vs nurture”, your puppy or kitten will not have the same personality traits and likely will have the same medical issues, so it may be wise to wait for a treatment or cure if your pet did not live long due to an incurable medical condition. I would hate to see someone feel any negativity regarding their clone because they were mistakinly thinking they were getting their beloved pet back. Just be realistic if you do decide to initiate the cloning process.

I am trying hard to wait about a year, to give myself time to grieve (and hopefully for the pricing to drop a little 🙂The cost is expensive, but to me, so worth it even if it does not come down. The way I’m looking at it is, it’s the price of a decent car at the moment. I’m happy to keep driving my current car for a few more years to make this happen. And my puppy will mean so much more and bring me far more happiness than a new car, and will last longer too! Thanks for reading, and puppy love to all of you fellow pet owners that love your pets so much!