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Virginia Beach Company Settles Alleged Violations of Federal Pesticide Law

Release Date: 10/10/2006
Contact Information: Bonnie Smith, 215-814-5543

PHILADELPHIA -- Care-A-Lot, Inc., owner of a pet supply warehouse in Virginia Beach, Va., has agreed to pay a $30,000 penalty to settle alleged violations of a federal pesticide law, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today.

EPA cited the company for violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) which requires EPA regulation of pesticide products and prohibits the distribution or sale of misbranded/improperly labeled pesticides.

The alleged FIFRA violations involved unregistered and misbranded pesticide products for dogs and cats. According to EPA, the company offered for sale or distribution various tick and flea control products under “Advantage” and “Frontline” labels that were not registered with EPA as required by FIFRA, and were misbranded with labels of EPA-registered pesticide products. The products were offered for sale in the company’s store, catalogue, and website.

The settlement penalty reflects the company’s compliance efforts, cooperation with EPA’s investigation, and agreement to settle this matter prior to the issuance of a formal complaint.

A variety of distributors and retailers may be selling counterfeit pet care products in the U.S. sometimes without realizing these products are, in fact, counterfeit imitations of legitimate pet care products. EPA has investigated several such potential violations. Once EPA learns of a suspected violation, it works in cooperation with its state partners, in issuing orders to stop the sale of counterfeit Frontline Top Spot, Frontline Plus, and Advantage flea and tick control products for dogs and cats. To help consumers know what to look for, visit EPA’s fact sheet on Advantage and Frontline/Frontline Plus products available at https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/retailerfactsh.pdf.

One of the many problems that face distributors and consumers is that in some cases, to determine a legitimate product from a counterfeit product, it is necessary to examine the product containers that are inside the retail carton.

As part of the settlement, the company neither admitted nor denied liability for the alleged violations, but has certified that it is now in compliance with FIFRA requirements. For more information about pesticides and their regulation, visit https://www.epa.gov/pesticides


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