ComplaintsforViagen Pet Services

• Initial Complaint

  04/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We paid $30,000 to Viagen for the cloning of our kitten that passed away in a tragic accident. The last payments were March 6 and 7th of 2023. We were told by the company verbally and in email communication that the cloned kittens have a similar temperament to the original cat. We were also told that the cloned kittens are well socialized. We received email stating clients state, "kittens are well socialized and happy." We received our kittens March 15th, 2023. The kittens were unsocialized growling and trying to bite when we handled them. We were hoping they'd settle down, but they continue to behave in this manner even though they have been in our care for 3 weeks. They have been to my vet who states they are unsocialized. I contacted the company about the behavior and was then told my kittens were "different" from the get go and deviated from what they typically see. However, we were never informed. Viagen's veterinarian apologized to us for not communicating and stated in the past when an animal was different the owner was contacted and said the original animal was that way. The customer service representative told us she has never seen this happen where the clone has the opposite temperament of the original cat and that this is not typical. I was told my kittens were not handled the last week they were with the company as they were stressed. My vet said that week is the most important/crucial week for socialization. This company made false claims saying that the kittens are well socialized and have a similar temperament to the original cat. They also failed to communicate that our kittens were different from the get go and deviated from what they typically see. At no time did the company say the kittens could be born different and with problematic behavior such as growling/biting when being handled. I feel that this company hid the fact that the kittens had problems until we paid them and had them in our care.

  Business response

  04/12/2023

  The clients 2 kittens were born on 1/12/2023.  The kittens received the same proven, quality kitten socialization that all of our kittens receive, which includes handling and playtime with varying people of varying ages with differing physical characteristics, so the kittens are exposed to many people. The surrogate mother was friendly and sweet and was a wonderful mother to her kittens.
  Our veterinarian did note that the clients 2 kittens seemed to be a bit more timid than our typical kittens, but she did not have concerns about these kittens and figured the original cat was similar. The kittens let our care team hold them and pet them and did not exhibit any aggression while in our care. Their socialization continued as normal until the day they left our care at approximately 9 weeks of age on 3/15/2023.
  The kittens traveled in a pet carrier in the cabin of a commercial flight, accompanied by a client service representative, and traveled from the East coast to the West coast.  Their trip was uneventful, and the kittens did well on the flights, especially given how long their travels were that day.
  The evening the client received the kittens, she reached out to our client service representative and said the kittens seemed feral and unsocialized.  We reminded her they had a long day of traveling and they may need some time to settle into their new environment, as any new pet would.
  
  While we do commonly receive feedback from our clients that temperament is similar to the original pet, we make no guarantees of a similar temperament or personality.
  The following is noted in the FAQs on our website (**********************************************)
  Is a pet born through the cloning process physically and behaviorally identical to the original pet?
  Cats and dogs delivered by cloning have the same genes as their donor pets and will be the closest match possible to the donor. This is best described as identical twins born at a later date. The new puppies and kittens will be the same *** as the donor, but just as it is in nature, may have slight phenotypic differences,such as different markings due to natural epigenetic factors. The environment does interact with genetics to impact many traits such as personality and behavior.
  
  The client also received a What to Expect When Cloning Your Cat document prior to signing a cloning agreement which states:
  Essentially,your cloned kitten will be a genetic identical twin to your original cat.Therefore, your cloned kitten will start with the same basic building blocks as your original cat; however, the environment in which they grow can affect many aspects such as coat pattern, growth, and behavior in your kitten.
  
  The client also sent the ViaGen Pets representative a short video of her son holding one of the kittens. This video didnt seem as alarming as the clients claim, although clear that continued care and handling is required for this kitten to thrive.  Video is attached for reference. 

  ViaGen Pets believes all communication channels are open with client.  Client has complained about kittens to client service representative but has not suggested any remedy.  ViaGen Pets has a long track record of working with all of our clients to help achieve a satisfactory outcome.   We hope this client complaint works to a satisfactory conclusion for the kittens, the client, and for ViaGen Pets.  

  Customer response

  04/16/2023

  Complaint: 19904277
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  No solution has been offered. I have attached a video of one of the clone kittens trying to bite my 12 year old son and a letter from my veterinarian who has examined the kittens 3 times and had found them to be poorly socialized despite the company saying they are well socialized. 

  Regards,
  
  *************************

  Business response

  04/26/2023

  ViaGen Pets held a conference call with the clients, ************************* & her husband, ********************** on 4/20/2023. On the call from ViaGen Pets were  President, ************************** Staff Veterinarian, Dr. ******************** ************** Manager, ******************************** and ************** Representative, ******************  We discussed the kittens' behavior issues in detail and gained further understanding of the issues the clients are having with the kittens. We informed the client that the described behaviors were not present when the kittens where in our care. We agreed that this issue is nothing that we've seen before in any of our kittens and we reiterated that these kittens received the same quality socialization that all of our kittens receive. 

  We want this experience to be a positive one for their family, so we recommended the client have the kittens evaluated by a veterinary behaviorist, and we have agreed to pay for the consultation with the behaviorist. The client reached out to ************************ behaviorist, but there were unable to see the kitten until ****, so we recommended another veterinary behaviorist near her. We are hopeful the kittens will be able to be evaluated soon and we hope for a positive outcome.

  Customer response

  05/02/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this is a good first step towards a resolution.

  Myself, husband, and our veterinarian had a conference call with Viagen on 4/20/23 expressing our concerns regarding the kittens behavioral issues. The company has agreed to pay for the kittens to see a behaviorist. This is a good first step towards a resolution. 

  
  Regards,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  09/21/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The woman I spoke with on the phone, was **** and I'm quite sure it is a fake name. After my dog had died, the rep knew that time could not be wasted so I was essentially being told that I only get this one chance or else I won't ever see my dog again. After the animal had died I was instructed by the rep to not have the remains frozen when going through the procedure, which my vet did for free just to honor my dead friend. Everything was done exactly how instructed. On that Thursday I couldn't get a response from ANYONE, so I had to leave my pet's remains at the vet overnight. The next day I got in contact with Codi and she did finally get me my shipping information but then charged me an additional $200 dollars to have it shipped over the weekend and have someone work on it that Saturday. After doing everything as instructed, my pet's genetic material ended up lost. I payed $1,300 for a failed procedure and an additional $200 dollars just for someone to show up and throw my pet's remains in the garbage. They didn't even ask if that was ok. $1400 gone and nothing to remember my best friend for. I warn absolutely everyone, DO NOT believe a word Viagen says. They are not experts, they don't even know proper science terminology. THIS IS A SCAM!I'm going to create a post online showing every conversation I have with them and I'm going to annotate every contradiction, misuse of scientific terms and blatant lies. I am going make sure that no one else has to experience being scammed in the middle of grieving. This business is absolutely despicable and disgusting. I would love to sit down face to face and have a talk with the sick individual that runs this business.

  Business response

  09/21/2022

  This client reached out to us on Thursday, May 21, 2020, and we provided this client along with his veterinarian, **************, with information on how to submit biopsy samples for our ***************************** Both the client and his veterinarian were made aware that it was possible that the dogs biopsy samples may no longer be viable due to being kept at frozen temperatures, and this could cause the cell culturing process to not be successful. The biopsy samples were shipped to us on Friday, May 22, 2020, and we received them on Saturday, May 23. Our lab technician began our cell culturing process the same day of receipt, and we worked with these samples until June 21, 2020, when, after approximately one month with no cell growth, it was determined that the samples were not viable. At this time, we reached out to the client to update him of this and to let him know that we still had a sample cryopreserved. He was given the option to try the cell culturing process again or to keep the biopsy sample cryopreserved for possible future technology improvements. He opted to keep the sample cryopreserved, and it is still being preserved at this time. Email communication supporting these facts is attached as reference. I am also attaching a copy of our Genetic Preservation Cell Storage Agreement that the client completed at the time of services rendered.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩