Jun 18, 2007 10:15 am US/Eastern
Humane Society Sues South Florida Pet Seller
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FT. LAUDERDALE (CBS4) ―
A class action lawsuit has been filed against a popular South Florida pet store.
The Humane Society of the United States filed the suit on behalf of more than 100 pet owners against the "Wizard of Claws" on Taft Street in Pembroke Pines. The Humane Society claims the pet store defrauded customers by misrepresenting the origin of puppies. They're also accusing the company of selling puppy mill dogs who suffer from severe health problems and genetic defects.
"This case highlights a nationwide epidemic of greed and deception in the puppy mill industry," said Jonathan Lovvorn, vice president of animal protection litigation for The HSUS. "Pet stores and dog dealers like Wizard of Claws reap huge profits by pushing sick and dying animals on the public every day. It is long past time for a reckoning."
The class action suit comes after months of investigation by the law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP and lawyers at The HSUS. During the course of the investigation, Weil and Humane Society lawyers claim they found serious and systematic violations of Florida's animal and consumer protection laws. They claim Wizard of Claws sold puppies that had life-threatening genetic defects or highly contagious parasitic infections, and then refused to reimburse customers for either the purchase price of sick dogs or veterinary treatments that sometimes cost thousands of dollars.
The class action suit cites several specific examples of the Wizard of Claws selling sick puppies;
*The sale of a puppy with severe giardia, a contagious parasite. It died two days after being brought home.
*A puppy with a severe liver defect that resulted in constant seizures up to the point of death only a few weeks after purchase.
*A puppy with severe pneumonia and a collapsed lung. The dog only partially recovered after a four-day stay in a veterinarian's oxygen chamber followed by months of intensive follow up treatment.
The Humane Society's lawsuit seeks compensatory damages for the class members, and a court order to prohibit the Wizard of Claws from selling puppies in the future.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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