Counterfeiting: a threat to pet welfare

Luxury goods and electronics are not the only sectors battling a steady stream of fake products. In the pet health business, illegitimate and sub-par medical treatments are putting animal welfare at risk, not to mention damaging consumer confidence.

A growing global concern

Counterfeiting is one of the most significant challenges facing brand owners today. It reaches every corner of the world and affects almost every industry. It also undermines trust, harms legitimate markets and, in many sectors, creates risks for health and safety.

Largely due to the media’s coverage of the issue, counterfeiting is most often associated with designer goods or electronics, but it increasingly affects other sectors too. In the pet industry, fake pet health products are threatening animal wellbeing and public confidence.

Impact on animal welfare

According to the International Trademark Association (INTA), whose members include manufacturers of branded products for companion animals, counterfeit medicines are a significant issue in the pet industry. These fake products can leave pets sub-optimally treated for parasites, infections or chronic conditions, leading to prolonged suffering, preventable illness and, in some cases, death.

Ineffective or unsafe products may also cause adverse reactions, further jeopardizing pet health. These outcomes underscore that counterfeit medicines can directly harm the very animals they are supposed to protect.

Low-cost imitations online

Pet owners seeking affordable and convenient solutions – sometimes limited by the cost or availability of veterinary care – often turn to the internet. Counterfeiters exploit this demand by offering low-cost imitations across popular e-commerce platforms. Parasite treatments for pets are a particular target for counterfeiters. Many such products are available as over-the-counter treatments (no prescription required), making them easier to market online.

Counterfeits often originate in Asia before spreading globally through e-commerce sites and social media marketplaces. The scale of reach and speed of communication via these channels make enforcement difficult, as listings are constantly refreshed or disguised to evade detection.

Offline channels

Although online sales increasingly dominate, offline trade often overlaps with online advertising, reinforcing the need for vigilance across both channels.

In Latin America, for example, counterfeit preventatives are advertised both in person and online. Diverted flea and tick preventatives are moved across borders into markets with different regulatory requirements and are then resold through informal outlets such as swap meets or open-air markets. Meanwhile, counterfeit collars and similar products have been detected in certain European markets.

A comprehensive approach

Recognizing that protecting consumers and their pets requires both enforcement and awareness, INTA and its members have adopted a layered strategy to safeguard against counterfeiting, including in the animal health industry.

One important measure is the monitoring of e-commerce platforms to detect and remove infringing listings while gathering intelligence to map counterfeit networks. At the same time, from a supply chain perspective, it is important to introduce strong distributor agreements, compliance checks and penalties for violations to preserve the integrity of legitimate channels.

Conducting proactive threat assessments ensures vulnerabilities across markets are evaluated and weaknesses are addressed before counterfeiters can exploit them. Last but not least, the strategy involves enhancing awareness and advocacy by training law enforcement officials, educating the public (with a focus on young consumers) and conducting outreach in high-risk geographies.

What can pet industry players do?

Safeguarding pet owners requires coordinated action across the supply chain. Industry stakeholders – from manufacturers and distributors to retailers and online platforms – each play a role in ensuring only legitimate products reach consumers.

For example, manufacturers can improve their product traceability by applying secure packaging, batch numbers and scannable codes to make it easier to authenticate products and detect counterfeits. They should also verify their supply chain security, using only licensed distributors, enforcing supplier agreements and conducting compliance checks to prevent diversion.

Manufacturers and distributors can strengthen their partnerships with veterinarians to reinforce safe purchasing channels and educate consumers on the risks of unverified sources. They can also support more general consumer and retailer education to reduce the demand for counterfeit products and strengthen trust.

Meanwhile, online platforms can tighten their oversight, tracking e-commerce listings for red flags such as unusually low prices, missing documentation or absence of company details. Above all, to strengthen collective defenses, it is important for the various types of stakeholders to share intelligence across the industry and exchange information on emerging threats, enforcement results and suspicious actors.

By embedding these practices into operations, companies reduce exposure to counterfeits and build a healthier, more transparent marketplace.