It cost A LOT to bring Marley back, as Ziggy...
But to the Tshirhart family, it was completely worth the $50 thousand dollar price tag.
My personal opinion, and you can take it with a grain of salt...you should let go, and adopt another dog...or cat. Each pet that I have ever had, was fantastic in their own way. My first dog, Bofo, was a gorgeous German Shepherd, with the heart of a comedian.
He was pure white, with a pink nose, and was once busted in the commission of an escape, by my dad.
He was on top of a chain link fence, and stopped, dead, when my dad yelled his name. He sat on the fence for a few minutes then jumped back down, like he meant to do it. I adored that dog.
Jack was my first cat. He was the One-eyed, One eared Wonderpuddin.
Jack had to have a bad eye removed, which left him with stitches from his nose all the way to an ear. It happened around Halloween, so when the cable guy came to hook me up, he expressed surprise at my broken-looking cat. I blurted out, "He's Frankenkitty, for Halloween!" Once he realized I was kidding...he laughed.
Angus was a tiny, blind, Siamese with a bad heart. But he had mine. And Jack's. Jack Took care of the little guy, until he died, from that heart ailment. Jack died soon afterward.
Phred came into my life at about that time. She was smaller than my hand when she arrived, and stayed tiny her entire life. Phred was the wee furry love who got me through my divorce. The most snuggle, lovey, purry cat ever. She died of cancer about a year ago...and I still cry about it.
There are more: Sophie, the cranky, but lovely tortie. Thomas, the 20 lb snowshoe Siamese, whose belly smelled like violets.
Gary Berry, Buddy, Rey Feo, Osama Bin Puddin, Hop Sing, Delilah, Pinky, Stinky...and more.
I have loved all of my pets, with all my heart and soul...but I could never try to replace them with lookalikes, or clones.
There is no way to replace a pet, not for me, anyway.
You just move forward with the memories they are gracious enough to leave you.
I now have Smudge and Domino to climb in my suitcases, and keep me company. Neither is anything like any pet I have had before. And I am more than OK with that.
By all means, clone your dog or cat. If that's what you want. But I think it diminishes what your family friend has meant to you.