Every pet owner loves his pets. There is no argument here.

But when we asked our readers whether they would clone their beloved animals, the responses were split almost down the middle. Of the 228 readers who answered our query, 108 would clone, 111 would not and nine weighed each side without offering an opinion.

Clearly, from readers' response, this is an issue that reaches deeply into both the joy and eventual sadness of owning a pet. It speaks, as well, to people's widely differing expectations over the developing scientific procedure.

Most of the respondents who favored the idea strongly believed it would produce at least a close replica of the original; many felt the process would actually return an exact copy. Those on the other side, however, held little hope a clone could ever truly recreate a pet; many simply didn't wish to interfere with the natural rhythm of life and death.

Both sides expressed equal outpourings of love for their animals. More than a few respondents owned "the best dog [or cat] in the world." (The majority of respondents identified themselves as dog owners.) They wrote eloquently of their pets as their "best friend," "a member of the family," "the light of my life." They told moving stories of pets' heroism, intelligence and selfless devotion.

Little wonder the prospect of loss is so disturbing—and the prospect of cloning so intriguing. "People become very attached to their animals, and the loss can be just as hard to bear as when a friend or family member dies," says Gary Kowalski, author of Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet. "For me, cloning feels like an attempt to turn death away ...  It's understandable. Death is always painful. It's difficult to deal with. It's hard to accept."

But would cloning lessen the blow? Ultimately, this question seemed to be at the heart of the issue.