Woc!!!!

[LabLuver22]

OK, somebody mentioned having a seperate thread for those idiots, so here it is! All ranting and raving, do it here!

BTW, I didn't post this in "Debate" because I think we're all pretty much on the same side (I hope we are....). If it really turns into a debate, well, we'll worry about that when the time comes.

I e-mailed WOC about a week ago. I played dumb and pretended I was a potential puppy buyer. Haven't heard back from them yet....

[FurryAngel33]

what is Woc?????


A puppy mill?????

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

Those WOC people just make me ill.

[sheltiepups]

They are sick..

[doberkim]

theres been a lot of info about them all over the ewbsite.i bookmarked it somewhere. .. i should find it...

[kerriebeth21]

They got taken to court by a group of people early this year...I wonder what happened there?

[gaddylovesdogs]

BOO WOC!!! After about three conversations with these BYBs, I have come to really hate them. You can check out my conversations with em' in "Designer mixes" which is posted in the Debate Forum.

I think we all agree that not only does WOC not care about their puppies but only the money, but they know absolutely nothing about breeding. The fact that they say they were involved in the show ring is hilarious.....BYB dogs don't usually get in there....

[kerriebeth21]

Media Release

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.

NOTE: Some of the victims of Wizard of Claws and other animal lovers will be demonstrating outside the store at 9101Taft Street, Pembroke Pines tommorow, Saturday, December 13th starting at 11:00 am. Attorneys Mi Kim and Marcy LaHart will be present to answer any questions concerning the case.

[Rip's Girl]

I had a nice talk with "Maija" today. Too bad, I didn't save the chat log, but her excuse for breeding outside the standard (Chihuahuas over 6lbs - and for 900+ dollars at that!!) was "Well I see chihuahuas on the street quite often that are over 6 pounds". She also said "the breed standard isn't always right."
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She got tired of me rather quickly and left by saying "I have to go answer phones now".

[FurryAngel33]

AS long as they are close to there standard weight not like way under the weight!!

[kerriebeth21]

I know Peta can be way overboard...but when it comes to WOC anything and everything should be done, I wrote to Peta, this is their response:

Dear Kerrie,

Thank you for contacting us about Wizard of Claws. We are aware of this puppy mill and have tried to help close them down. Are you able to go to the facility (as a potential buyer) and get photos and/or video footage for us? This is so valuable for the animals and for local authorities to take action!

Please review these links to learn more about puppy mills and how you can help the animals:

http://www.helpinganimals.com/angel-petpack.html

http://www.helppuppies.com/nc/char.html

If you witness an animal in imminent danger, please contact animal control immediately! You can also contact your state veterinarian and the USDA to file a formal complaint and verify that a breeder is licensed. They are responsible for licensing, regulating, and inspecting puppy mills.

We receive constant complaints about animals who suffer and die in the pet trade nationwide. As you probably know, the focus of the pet trade industry, which includes breeders, dealers, pet stores, and puppy mills, is profit, not compassion for animals. Expenses are kept at a minimum to ensure the highest possible profit margin, which often manifests in mistreatment or neglect of the animals. We share your concern for these poor animals and will be glad to try to help once we have more information. We need documentation in order to build a case including: dated, concise eyewitness or veterinary statements from people who have purchased a dog from the mill, the name of the facility and owners and their address, and details of investigations or media coverage of this mill. Are you able to provide photos or video footage? This could go a long to way to help these poor animals.

Thank you for your compassion for the animals!

For the animals,

Amy R. Black
Domestic Animal and Wildlife Rescue & Information
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
AmyB@PETA.Org

[Ritz459]

WOC makes me soooooooooooooooooooo mad! I can hardly stand going to their website. I feel so sorry for all of thos poor dogs......I don't know how anybody could be stupid enough to buy from them in the first place....I was wondering.....how do you chat with them? I want to see what they say for myself! (I'll play dum and see what they say....probably something stupid......)

[LabLuver22]

There's a "live chat" button that you can click on.

[ChiChi]

so there webpage is? i would like to play dumb too! i have never heard of WOC but reading wat kerrie put.... OMG! how could they!?!?!? so i would love there web page!

[LabLuver22]

www.wizardofclaws.com