Jun 21, 2006 2:10 pm US/Eastern
Pet Store Sued By State To Stop Selling Puppies
PEMBROKE PINES (CBS4 News) ―
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Teacup puppies, like this one, are sold at Wizard of Claws in Pembroke Pines
CBS4 News
A consumer complaint has led to a lawsuit filed against a Pembroke Pines pet store by Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist.
Crist announced Wednesday that his office has sued the store "Wizard of Claws" for allegedly defrauding its customers about the puppies they were purchasing.
Wizard of Claws specializes in the sale of ''teacup'' dogs, unusually small dogs that are sold for prices as high as $2,000. But consumers said the store misrepresented the dogs' pedigrees and the dogs end up overgrown and often ill.
Store owners Jim and Gilda Anderson were named in the lawsuit, which Crist's office filed under Florida's unfair and deceptive trade practices act. The suit also seeks a temporary injunction to force the shop to stop selling puppies immediately.
Crist opened an investigation into the business after receiving a complaint from a consumer. Investigators discovered that although Wizard of Claws claimed its dogs were registered with the American Kennel Club, the store owner was actually purchasing many of the dogs from online auctions without proper registration or pedigrees. This practice often increases the likelihood that the dogs are sick when purchased.
Investigators have received more than 20 sworn statements from consumers who claim they bought puppies from Wizard of Claws but faced serious problems with the dogs, including poor health and the inability to house a dog larger than the teacup size.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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