FDA Seizes Unlicensed Veterinary Medicines From Sector 109 Pet Store

GURUGRAM: The Food and Drugs Administration seized 23 varieties of allopathic veterinary medicines worth about Rs 56,000 from a pet store in Sector 109 on the Dwarka Expressway, alleging the stock was being held and sold without a valid drug licence, officials said.

A team led by Dr Suresh Kumar, drugs control officer for FDA Gurugram-II, inspected the premises around 1 pm on Saturday at a store in the Conscient One commercial complex. Public reports identified the firm as Theo Pet Ventures, operating under the brand Ferpetual. A salesperson present initially answered queries and directed the team to the store manager, a Sector 102 resident. The manager arrived about an hour later but failed to produce the licence required under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the 1945 rules to stock and sell such medicines, officials said.

The team recovered three sale invoices and five purchase bills. FDA said the papers prima facie showed purchase and sale of allopathic medicines without a valid drug licence. The entire stock of 23 medicines was confiscated under Form-16. Two drug samples were drawn under Form-17 and sent to a government analyst for laboratory evaluation. The department took formal custody of the inventory and said it would obtain court custody orders and initiate further legal action against the proprietors.

Dr Kumar said the administration was enforcing drug laws so that medicines move only through licensed channels in the interest of public safety, and that violations would invite legal action. He warned retail outlets against using the cover of pet food sales to deal in restricted pharmaceuticals. FDA has not alleged in the briefing that the seized medicines were fake, spurious or unsafe. The stated issue is absence of a valid licence to possess and sell allopathic veterinary drugs.

Pet retail has expanded quickly along Dwarka Expressway commercial hubs, where shops often stock food, accessories and, in some cases, medicines. A drug licence lets regulators track sourcing, storage and accountability. An unlicensed seller sits outside that system. Sector 109 residents and pet owners frequently use Conscient One for neighbourhood purchases, which is why the Saturday inspection drew attention once the seizure figures were disclosed on Sunday and Monday.

Samples sent to the government analyst will determine the next laboratory findings. FDA said strict action would follow against any person, firm or establishment found stocking, selling or distributing allopathic medicines without a valid licence. The proprietors' response in court, if and when custody and prosecution steps proceed, will form part of the legal record. Until then, the case rests on the inspection notes, invoice trail and Form-16 seizure.