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Contra Costa part of multi-county lawsuit

By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office

The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office announces that PetSmart LLC entered into a Stipulated Judgement on June 23rd and will pay $1.46 million for overcharging customers, false advertising, and unfair competition.

District Attorney Diana Becton said that “The law in California is clear: businesses must be accurate in charging for goods and services. For customers, it’s important to monitor items scanned at a register and scrutinize your receipts to make sure you are not being overcharged.”

The outcome of the multi-county lawsuit against PetSmart includes court orders that prohibit the company from engaging in false or misleading advertising and charging an amount greater than the lowest price posted for an item. Moreover, PetSmart must implement additional audit and price accuracy procedures in its California stores for a three-year period to ensure compliance with pricing accuracy requirements, including notifying customers of their right to be charged the lowest currently advertised price for any item offered for sale.

PetSmart will pay $1,250,000 in civil penalties, $100,000 in restitution to support consumer protection enforcement efforts, and $110,000 for investigative costs incurred by various counties. Because of this legal action, PetSmart has implemented new policies and procedures to improve pricing accuracy with routine audits, detailed record keeping, and in-store signage to notify customers about the lowest advertised price for items.

The lawsuit was filed in Santa Cruz County. In addition to Contra Costa County, Plaintiffs include Sonoma County, Alameda County, Marin County, San Diego County, Ventura County, and Los Angeles County. Deputy District Attorney Bryan Tierney prosecuted the case for the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office – with assistance by the Contra Costa Department of Agriculture/Weights & Measures.

If members of the public believe they have been overcharged by businesses, contact our office at: DA-ReportFraud@contracostada.org.

See the 4-page insert inside the April issue of the Antioch Herald print edition and learn more at Contra Costa County Fair 2023 (contracostafair.com).

By Contra Costa Animal Services Department

Our shelter is FULL and we need your help! Through April all animals are FREE* to qualified homes. Come visit us and let us help you find your new best friend. To see a full list of available animals with pictures, check out our website: ccasd.org

The Contra Costa Animal Services Department Martinez Shelter is located at 4800 Imhoff Place.

By Chantel Tieman

Hold Your Horses  Livestock Emergency Evacuation Response Team & Rescue is a local non-profit evacuation team and rescue based out of East Contra Costa County.

We are deployed by operations of emergency services, Calfire and local fire agencies and Animal Services. We not only rescue during disasters but whenever there are calls for neglect and abuse etc. For more information visit www.holdyourhorsesevac.com orour Facebook page.

Celebrate Antioch Foundation and the Rivertown Merchants announces their 2023 list of events in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown in beginning in April. Some events will be hosted by or with other community partners. Download, print and post this flier on your refrigerator or save it in your phone’s photo album and add the list below to your calendar as reminders! To participate or for more information visit www.celebrateantioch.org or www.facebook.com/antiochrivertown.

Donations of warm blankets requested; Friend of Animal Services sponsoring all adoption fees until Dec. 31

Please join Antioch Friends of Animal Services President and Founder, Barbara Sobalvarro for cookies and punch, as we celebrate Home for the Holidays in the lobby of Antioch Animal Services on Saturday, December 17th from 1 to 3pm, 300 L Street in Antioch, adjacent to the Antioch Police Department.

We ask that you consider bringing a warm blanket for our animal friends to help keep them warm in the shelter!!

Our local shelter is bursting at the seams with amazing dogs and cats who would love nothing more than a family to call their own! In order to encourage adoption, we are sponsoring all adoption fees through the end of December, which includes spay/neuter, microchip and shots. Please view available pets at 24petconnect.com and call the shelter directly at (925) 779-6989 to make an appointment to meet the animal and adopt.

If you are unable to adopt, but would like to assist the animals, please consider a donation from the Antioch Animal Services Amazon Wishlist.