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PetSmart Pays Nearly $400,000 for Selling Unregistered Pesticide Pet Products

Media Contact: Lea Brooks
916-445-3974 | Lea.Brooks@cdpr.ca.gov
September 28, 2012 (12-21)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SACRAMENTO - Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) Director Brian R. Leahy announced today that PetSmart Inc. has paid a $392,842 settlement for selling 33 unregistered pesticide pet products to California consumers. The products range from antimicrobial cage liners and reptile bedding to flea and tick pet shampoo.

“Pesticides cannot be sold or used in California unless they are registered by both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and DPR to ensure they do what the label claims and can be used safely without harming people, pets and the environment” Leahy said. “ Products that contain pesticides, but aren’t registered have not undergone a scientific review to determine under what conditions they are safe to use and if they are effective.”

Under the settlement, PetSmart paid a $142,842 civil penalty to DPR and $250,000 to the Education and Environment Initiative, a multiagency partnership created to develop and implement environment-based curriculum for kindergarten through 12th-grade classrooms statewide.

DPR began investigating PetSmart last year after a routine audit determined it was selling unregistered pesticide products in California.

“Responsible sellers should assure the products they sell are registered so consumers are confident that the products work and can be used safely,” Leahy explained.

Consumers can confirm that a product has been approved for sale and use in California by checking the label for a U.S. EPA registration number. Consumers can also check DPR’s California product label database or contact the department’s registration ombudsman at 916/322-9522.

One of six departments and boards within the California Environmental Protection Agency, DPR regulates the registration, sale and use of pesticides and fosters reduced-risk pest management to protect people and the environment. Additional information about DPR is posted at www.cdpr.ca.gov.

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