The California Department of Pesticide Regulation yesterday proposed $3 million in fines for 13 pet-supply companies, including two in San Diego County, for allegedly selling unregistered foreign flea treatments.
SAN DIEGO — The California Department of Pesticide Regulation yesterday proposed $3 million in fines for 13 pet-supply companies, including two in San Diego County, for allegedly selling unregistered foreign flea treatments. The 13 companies, all in California, repeatedly sold flea products disguised with fake labels and counterfeit packaging despite warnings from state regulators, according to complaints filed by the department in Administrative Law Court.
Flea powders, collars and drops are considered pesticides, and California sellers must register them with the state as well as pay impact fees.
"When companies break the law on pesticide fees or registration, they gain an unfair advantage over law-abiding competitors, and they also may put consumers at risk," said Mary-Ann Warmerdam, director of the pesticide department.
The department has no evidence of harm coming to any pet or consumer that can be traced back to foreign flea products sold by California companies. Among the companies named were Western Pet Wholesalers of San Marcos and Richlin Farm Pets N Fish, which has several stores throughout the county.
Western Pet Wholesalers faces fines totaling $70,000 for 14 alleged violations, and Richlin Farm Pets N Fish $25,000 for five alleged violations. Calls to both companies for comment yesterday were not returned. The largest fine was $1.2 million proposed for Kenneth A. Boston and Boston's Pet Supply of Santa Maria in Santa Barbara County for 253 violations.
"You would be amazed at the stuff going on that seems so innocuous," said Glen Brank, a department spokesman. "We found that there were out-of-state operations that did nothing but make the counterfeit boxes."
The products were sold under the brand names "Advantage" and "Frontline," and came from the United Kingdom and Australia, where wholesalers can get the products for half the U.S. wholesale price, Brank said. Department investigators warned both Western Pet Wholesalers and Richlin Farms Pets N Fish about selling the products in July 2002, but both companies was still selling them in November 2004, according to complaints filed by the department.
Brank said that beyond the companies involved in yesterday's action, the department has found 183 violations of fee and registration laws for the flea treatments in recent years.
"We are barely scratching the surface," Brank said. "We don't know how many millions of dollars have run through."
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