7 USC § 2138 - Purchase of dogs or cats by United States Government facilities prohibited except from authorized operators of auction sales and licensed dealers or exhibitors

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t7/s2138"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "7 USC § 2138 - Purchase of dogs or cats by United States Government facilities prohibited except from authorized operators of auction sales and licensed dealers or exhibitors"
title_number: 7
title_name: "AGRICULTURE"
section_number: "2138"
section_name: "Purchase of dogs or cats by United States Government facilities prohibited except from authorized operators of auction sales and licensed dealers or exhibitors"
chapter_number: 54
chapter_name: "TRANSPORTATION, SALE, AND HANDLING OF CERTAIN ANIMALS"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 89–544, § 8, Aug. 24, 1966, 80 Stat. 351; Pub. L. 91–579, § 9, Dec. 24, 1970, 84 Stat. 1562.)"
---


# § 2138. Purchase of dogs or cats by United States Government facilities prohibited except from authorized operators of auction sales and licensed dealers or exhibitors

section 2142 of this titlesection 2133 of this title

No department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States which uses animals for research or experimentation or exhibition shall purchase or otherwise acquire any dog or cat for such purposes from any person except an operator of an auction sale subject to  or a person holding a valid license as a dealer or exhibitor issued by the Secretary pursuant to this chapter unless such person is exempted from obtaining such license under .

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 89–544, § 8, Aug. 24, 1966, 80 Stat. 351; Pub. L. 91–579, § 9, Dec. 24, 1970, 84 Stat. 1562.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1970— inserted reference to instrumentalities of the United States which use animals for exhibition and added operators of auction sales subject to  and licensed exhibitors to the enumeration of persons from whom United States Government facilities may acquire dogs or cats.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1970 Amendment

Amendment by  effective one year after , see , set out as a note under .