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Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady revealed his dog, Junie, is actually a clone of his former pet thanks to a Texas-based biotech company. The revelation came after Dallas biotech company Colossal Biosciences announced its acquisition of Texas cloning company, Viagen Pets and Equine. Tom Brady had his late dog cloned Brady, a Colossal investor, talked about the process of cloning his late dog, Lua, when the merger was announced. What they're saying: "I love my animals. They mean the world to me and my family," Brady said. "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. In a few short months, Colossal gave my family a second chance with a clone of our beloved dog." Colossal made headlines earlier this year when they brought back the dire wolf from extinction. The company is also working on de-extinction for the wooly mammoth and the dodo. "I am excited how Colossal and Viagen's tech together can help both families losing their beloved pets while helping to save endangered species," Brady said. As for Viagen, the company was already in the cloning business, having famously cloned Barbra Streisand's dog Samantha and Paris Hilton's dog Diamond. The company owns the rights to the technology that cloned Dolly the sheep. "Partnering with Colossal Biosciences presents an extraordinary opportunity to apply our advanced cryopreservation and cloning techniques to the ambitious goals of de-extinction and species restoration," Viagen's Chief Science Officer Dr. Shawn Walker said. "Colossal’s innovative approach aligns with our mission to preserve genetic diversity and support conservation efforts globally. We are excited to see how this collaboration can advance science globally."
