Overview of the Law

In the United States, there are no laws at the federal level or state level that directly address commercial pet cloning.

While there is legislation in some states restricting the cloning of human beings, similar prohibitions do not exist for animals.

Western countries have very rarely implemented restrictions on commercial pet cloning as an industry. In the United Kingdom, the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 prohibits commercial pet cloning (though it does not prevent the sale of animals from countries with less restrictions in place.) While this ban was incidental at the time, with cloning not having been a fully recognized concept at the time the act was passed, the act was interpreted to include pet cloning in 2000.

In the United States, the primary restrictions placed on commercial pet cloning are done through the Animal Welfare Act. While the AWA sets baseline standards for the treatment of animals in laboratory settings, it is far from ideal, and it does not directly address commerc ial pet cloning as an industry or as a practice. Furthermore, the AWA does not require the level of scrutiny or transparency that would (a) allow consumers to make fully informed choices; and (b) ensure animals are being treated properly. Companies like ViaGen are subject to inspection by APHIS (under USDA).

In 2005, Assembly Member Lloyd Levine of California proposed a bill in the state of California that would prohibit pet cloning, genetic engineering of pets, and would prohibit the purchase of such animals by people in California. A similar bill has not been proposed in any other states, nor has a similar bill been proposed federally in the time since.