Birmingham City minority owner Tom Brady claims his dog Junie is a clone of deceased family pet

Colossal's statement on Brady's dog took the internet by surprise. The company also confirmed its purchase of another cloning company, Viagen Pets and Equine. The two firms are set to combine their research and technology to expand cloning services for both domestic animals and conservation purposes, with the hope of expanding worldwide. Brady said: "I love my animals, they mean everything to me and my family. A few years ago, Colossal used a non-invasive method to collect a small blood sample from our older dog before she passed away. That allowed them to create Junie, who’s a clone of Lua." 

Brady described the experience as a "second chance" for his family, saying he was encouraged by how the technology could "bring comfort to families who lose their pets while also supporting efforts to protect endangered species".

Viagen, now owned by Colossal, is known for cloning pets for high-profile clients, including Barbra Streisand and Paris Hilton. The company operates under technology licenses from the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, which created the famous Dolly the Sheep in 1996. After being founded in 2021, Colossal has gained global attention for its ambitious "de-extinction" research projects, including attempts to revive species such as the woolly mammoth and the dodo. The company recently claimed to have cloned three dire wolf pups. Financial details of Colossal’s acquisition of Viagen have not been disclosed, but reports suggest Viagen’s dog cloning services are typically priced between $50,000 and $85,000.

Cloning pets has been a controversial topic in popular culture, often featuring in discussions about the ethics of recreating animals. Brady, now a broadcaster for Fox Sports, a seven-time Super Bowl winner, and minority owner of Championship club Birmingham, said he doesn’t see Junie as a scientific experiment but simply as "part of our family".

Brady has been very busy since retiring from the NFL in 2023. Alongside his broadcasting duties, the 48-year-old has a stake in Birmingham City, who play in England's second division, as well as the Las Vegas Raiders Stateside. He has often been spotted in the stands at Birmingham games, and has even gone so far as to speak with potential new signings for the Midlands club, as they look to compete with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's Wrexham.

Summer signing Marvin Ducksch revealed that he spoke with Brady in the process of signing for the Blues, and it convinced him how dedicated the NFL legend is to his football passion. He said: "When I arrived for the medical and the contract signing, they handed me the phone, and I was allowed to speak with Tom Brady. That inspired me even more to speak with the GOAT in person. That was when I finally knew I had made the right decision."

Brady's animal experiments are just another investment to be added to his portfolio in retirement. In the world of sports, he will be delighted to see the progress of Birmingham since claiming a stake in the club. They currently sit ninth in the Championship table, having won six of their 14 games so far this season. Brady will also take pleasure in seeing that his side are above Wrexham, who currently reside in 16th, four points below the Blues - although the two did play out a 1-1 draw at the start of October. Next up for Brady's men is a trip to Middlesbrough, a team vying for the automatic promotion spots this season.