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EPA orders 'Stop Sale' of illegal pet flea control products

Release Date: 4/25/2005
Contact Information: Wendy L. Chavez, (415) 947-4248

SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently ordered an Arizona company to immediately stop selling and distributing unregistered and misbranded pet products, a violation of federal pesticide law.

The EPA recently discovered that Rizing Sun, of Peoria, Ariz. continued to illegally sell and distribute unregistered versions of "Frontline" -- a popular flea and tick control product used on dogs and cats -- after the EPA issued a complaint in September 2004 seeking a $357,000 penalty.

The pesticides were unlawfully imported and look similar to legitimately registered pesticides sold in the United States. State inspectors originally discovered the illegal products at various retail stores in Hawaii, Pennsylvania, and Georgia and traced the products back to Rizing Sun.

"Without proper labeling and registration, the illegal products can endanger pets and their owners," said Enrique Manzanilla, director of the EPA's Communities and Ecosystems Division for the Pacific Southwest region. "The sale of these products also undercuts legitimate businesses that have registered their products."

In September 2004 the EPA also filed a complaint against Honolulu company Pang & Son Distribution, L.L.C., and settled with Tidalwave Distribution, Inc. of Torrance, Calif. for $50,000 for distributing illegal pet products.

The EPA's pesticide regulations require registration and approved labels on all pesticide products before they are sold in the United States. Pesticides registered with the agency have an EPA registration number on the label.

The EPA will not register a pesticide without information that shows it will not pose an unreasonable risk when used according to the directions. The agency ensures that pesticide labels provide consumers with the information they need to use the products safely.

For more information, visit the EPA's Web sites on illegal pesticides and illegal pet products, at: https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/illegalproducts/ or at https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/petproduct.htm