California was the first state to pass a law in 2019 banning the sale of new fur products, but the law didn't go into effect until Jan 1, 2023, giving sellers four years to prepare for the ban.
One Carmel boutique owner kept on selling new furs anyway and is paying the price for violating the state's Fish and Game code, according to Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni, in an announcement on Wednesday, Sept. 17.
Tracy Odle, owner of the upscale Augustina's Designer Boutique on Ocean Avenue and Augustina's Leathers online, has been fined $150,000 in civil penalties in a case brought by the D.A.'s Environmental Protection Unit.
Assembly Bill 44 includes specific exemptions for fur used for religious purposes and for traditional Native American tribal or cultural purposes, among others. It does not ban the sale of used products or items like cowhide or sheepskin.
"Even despite her actual knowledge of the ban, Odle continued to advertise and profit off of her sale of new fur products such as coats and hats made of fox, mink, sable and beaver fur," a press release states. The products were offered both in store and online.
The investigation began after a consumer complaint was filed with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
(1) comment
Expensive mistake. Was she provided a warning notice to 'cease and desist', or did the DA's office simply pounce without warning?
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.