posted 04-27-2003 12:13 PM           

The worst was reading under "rare" breeds ... "yorkie/shiht zu" and other mixes. There is NOTHING rare about these breedS they are mixes.

Says they work with dedicated breeders??? What kind of breeder needs them to sell their pups?

They claim they are not a pet store but yet are located in a strip mall????

posted 12-25-2003 08:24 PM         

CONTACTS:

MI K. KIM, ESQ. MARCY I. LAHART, ESQ
Feldman & Getz, LLP Marcy I. LaHart, PA.
155 NW 167th Street 711 Talladega Street
Penthouse West Palm Beach, FL 33405
(305) 770-0003 (561) 655-9537
mikim12345@yahoo.com milahart@bellsouth.net

December 12, 2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PUPPY STORE SUED FOR MISLEADING CUSTOMERS, SELLING SICK PUPPIES

(Pembroke Pines, FL) Two South Florida attorneys have filed a lawsuit on behalf of customers that bought puppies from Wizard of Claws Inc., alleging that the Pembroke Pines pet store defrauds customers by intentionally misrepresenting the origin of the puppies sold, and by selling puppies that suffer from a wide array of health problems, including contagious diseases and genetic disorders.

Although Wizard of Claws has told customers that their puppies were imported from "reputable" breeders in South America, according to the complaint filed yesterday Broward County Circuit Court, in reality the puppies were obtained from large scale commercial breeding facilities in Missouri, commonly known as a "puppy mills", where animal welfare concerns are wholly secondary to profits.

Plaintiff Shannah Diaz of Miami purchased a Maltese puppy, “Prince,” from Wizard of Claws on September 6, 2002 for $950.00. Prince suffered from a congenital bleeding disorder, and died from internal hemorrhaging when he was less than a year old. After Prince died, Diaz began to suspect that Prince had come from a puppy mill, and asked a Wizard of Claws. "They assured me that my puppy had come from a reputable private breeder " Diaz .said, "but I later discovered that my puppy had been shipped to Florida from a commercial breeder in Missouri. " Wizard of Claws refused to reimburse any of Diaz's vet bills.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, the documented problems of puppy mills include overbreeding, inbreeding, minimal veterinary care, poor quality of food and shelter, lack of socialization with humans, overcrowded cages, and the killing of unwanted animals. To the unsuspecting consumer, this often means buying a puppy facing an array of immediate veterinary problems or harboring genetically borne diseases that may not be detected until much later.

Wizard of Claws, which claims to specialize in "tiny, tea-cup size puppies" sells puppies from its Pembroke Pines store and over the Internet. Plaintiff Mary Ibarra of San Antonio, Texas ordered an English Bulldog from Wizard of Claws, and knew that something was very wrong with her new puppy moments after "Gracie" arrived from at the San Antonio International Airport. Gracie, who had received a clean bill of health from Wizard of Claws veterinarian of choice Dr. Jan Bellows, walked on her wrists and she kept falling down on her back legs. Gracie was soon diagnosed as suffering from severe hip dysplasia with early onset arthritis. Gracie’s hip sockets are so bad that they do not have a cup to hold the ball of the joint, and she needs at least two surgeries. If the surgeries are not successful Gracie will have to be euthanized. Wizard of Claws refuses to assist with the costs of the surgeries, or to even reimburse the $1200.00 Ibarra paid for the pup.

The lawsuit, which alleges fraud, breach of warranty and multiple counts of violating the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, asks that the plaintiffs be reimbursed for the purchase price of their puppies as well as the veterinary expenses incurred as a result of the purchase an unhealthy pup.

posted 12-30-2003 10:11 PM         

i have a question about the "rare breeds" i myself work at a humane society on the weekends as a volunteer service, and i see a LOT of those same "rare breeds" at the shelter! So i ask, WHY in the world are you ripping people off like this? do you even realize that dogs just like the ones you are selling for so much money are being euthanized EVERY DAY! that is uncalled for, to sell a mutt at such an outrageous price when people give stuff like this away all the time. and these white dogs... aren't they a genetic fault? making them miserable by breeding them, because they already have a lot of medical problems anyways, it would be virtually impossible to breed them and have healthy puppies as an outcome. let me tell you one thing, i have done my research on this site and i KNOW that yall have a bad reputation. i have looked at some of the law suits, I understand the business world, and if i were you, i would get some of the best lawyers your money can buy. I have never had problems in my profession, maybe that is because I AM AN HONEST PERSON WHO DOESN'T SELL FAULTY PRODUCTS, AND EVEN THOUGH I DON'T SELL DOGS I WOULD NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS ABUSE MY PRECIOUS ANIMALS LIKE YOU HAVE, OVERBREEDING IS SERIOUS, WHAT IF YOU HAD TO HAVE 15 BABIES? THAT WOULD NOT ONLY HAVE A PHYSICAL TOLL ON YOUR BODY, BUT ALSO A MENTAL TOLL. LET THESE DOGS HAVE SOME REST FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!! THERE IS A POINT WHERE A HUMAN BEING WITH A SOUL WOULD THINK "HEY, MAYBE THIS IS IMMORAL AND I AM NOT ONLY HURTING THE PEOPLE WHO FALL IN LOVE WITH THESE ANIMALS JUST TO SEE THEM IN PAIN, AND DYING BUT I AM ALSO HURTING THESE DOGS!

posted 12-31-2003 04:46 AM         

I'm definately putting the word out, PUPPY MILL!!!! I don't care if she breeds them or not, its still a PUPPY MILL. Those poor puppies, don't people realize that the smaller they are bred down, and albinoism (if thats a word) is doing nothing but contributing to poor health???

LETS SHUT THEM ALL DOWN!!! Don't buy a puppy from a pet store, go to a reputable breeder that has good referances, ask for history, and photos of previous puppies and vet statements.

posted 02-25-2004 07:21 AM         

Marcai Jasinski
JKKSEuro Dobermans