2017-01-01

PUPPY PALACE & Judith Ann Norford - Hollywood

PUPPY PALACE & Judith Ann Norford - Hollywood

8961 Taft Street Pembroke Pines 33024
954-404-8757

Retail puppy store selling sick animals

2017-01-01

NEWS STORIES

Florida Lawsuit


Attorney MARCY I. LAHART, ESQ has filed suit against Puppy Palace in Boynton Beach and Hollywood Florida, Wizard of Claws in Pembroke Pines, Florida and Precious Puppies in Palm Beach, Florida. The lawsuit alleges that "the stores misrepresented the health and origins of the puppies sold to the defendants and violated the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and consumer protection laws. The suit seek preliminary and permanent injuctions that would prohibit the stores from furture sales of puppies as well as reimbursement for the price of the puppies, veterinary bills, legal costs and punitive damages." If you have purchased a dog from one of these stores, worked at one of these stores or have any information about the stores, please contact the attorney at:

Marcy I. LaHart, PA.
711 Talladega Street
West Palm Beach, FL 33405
(561) 655-9537
milahart@bellsouth.net
Sickly Pets Lead Dog Owners To Sue Puppy Palace
Nine Plaintiffs Seek To Be Reimbursed For The Price Of Their Animals And For Veterinary Costs.
October 31, 2003|By Daniella Aird Staff Writer

A group of pet owners sued a South Florida puppy store Thursday, saying the business sold them animals ridden with contagious diseases, genetic disorders and other health problems.
Lawsuits were filed in Broward and Palm Beach circuit courts against Puppy Palace Inc., a pet store with locations in Hollywood and Boynton Beach. The customers claim it violates state law because it misrepresents the quality of its puppies.
According to the lawsuits, which allege fraud and breach of warranty, nine plaintiffs -- eight in Palm Beach County and one in Broward -- seek to be reimbursed for the price of their dogs, as well as the veterinary expenses they incurred while caring for the sick animals. The lawsuit also asks the court to stop Puppy Palace from selling puppies.
Puppy Palace owner Judy Norford could not be contacted for comment Thursday, despite several attempts to reach her by phone at her Hollywood store.
Plaintiff April Wolf, a Boynton Beach resident, said that when she bought Zoe, her Australian cattle dog, at the pet store in March 2002, she was told the puppy came from a private breeder in Fort Lauderdale. Zoe suffered from all sorts of health problems, including pneumonia and mange, according to the lawsuit. Her symptoms ranged from coughing and diarrhea, to fever and runny nose.
Wolf says she later learned her canine came from a Missouri puppy mill that has been repeatedly cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"I was so angry. It's not like they're ripping off people with cars. These are innocent animals," said Wolf, 35, a dental office manager who says she spent more than $2,000 in vet bills to care for Zoe. "It's disgusting. I don't know how these people can do this. It isn't fair because I was lied to."
West Palm Beach attorney Marcy LaHart, who is representing the pet owners, said her clients were defrauded because Puppy Palace misrepresents from where its puppies come. Puppy mills turn out canines the way a factory "mass-produces widgets," she said.

Dog with rare congenital condition purchased from Hollywood pet store
Owner saddled with medical bills after purchasing dog from Puppy Palace
By Jacey Birch - Anchor/Animal Advocate
Posted: 11:20 PM, February 09, 2015

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. - We've all heard the warnings about buying puppies from pet stores. In some cases the dogs are brought in by backyard breeders or purchased from puppy mills.
But as Local 10 News animal advocate Jacey Birch found out, instead of buying food and toys, new owners could be saddled with a sick animal and mounting medical bills.
Kevin Graver always adopted shelter dogs in the past, but not this time.
"We've been going to Puppy Palace in Hollywood probably for the last 20 years, looking at puppies," said Graver. "We went in there one day and we saw Helga, and we fell in love with her so we purchased her."
But the love affair quickly turned into a medical nightmare.
"As soon as we took her home, we noticed something was wrong," Graver said. "It wasn't that she wasn't housebroken yet, it was just that she was, like, leaking all the time."
It was a rare congenital condition called ectopic ureter, where a connection to the bladder is missing.
"She has to have a diaper on constantly, because it's been a year and a half of pee all over the house, and having to wash the bed stuff every day and wet towels," said Graver.
Three surgeries later and the English bulldog still has to be dressed like a baby, kept in a cage and injected with medicine twice a day.
"Even though she went out and peed, there's a long trail of urine here," said Graver. "This is the new antibiotic she's on."
Even with all these efforts, it still may not be enough.
"We've already been told she's going to have a very short life," Graver said. "She's probably going to have infection after infection until she has kidney failure."
"What has your communication with Puppy Palace been like?" asked Birch.
"It was decent in the beginning," Graver said.
When Graver purchased Helga from Puppy Palace, he spent about $1,300. But since then he's paid twenty times that amount just in Helga's medical bills.
"It looks like we paid $5,000 that day," said Graver.
By law, Puppy Palace had to give back the price of the dog, and it did. But Graver is suspicious the pet shop is aware of these reproduction repercussions.
"They know they are breeding unhealthy dogs with medical conditions that will pass on to the puppies, and they breed them anyway," Graver said.
Local 10 went to the pet shop in Hollywood, but nobody wanted to answer our questions.
"I just wanted to ask whoever is in charge about the sick puppies. We're hearing that there are sick puppies that are sold here," Birch said. "Can you just tell me about the accusations that have been made? Do you buy from puppy mills?"
Local 10 was asked to leave. Puppy Palace told Birch it was closed.
"You're closed? Are you closed because we're here?" asked Birch.
"No, not at all," a Puppy Palace employee said.
But problems with Puppy Palace are not new. Protests outside the 25-year-old pet shop, dozens of lawsuits and Better Business Bureau filings have all accused the owners of selling sick puppies and buying from backyard breeders or puppy mills. Even a Yelp review page is filled with complaints.
Hallandale Beach City Commissioner and animal advocate Michele Lazarow is fighting city by city to abolish the retail sale of cats and dogs.
"They are inbred, overbred, they live their lives in squalor, they're sick and they arrive to the stores sick," said Lazarow. "The reason I started this work is because I, in 2004, bought a dog from Puppy Palace. The dog was sick, ultimately, and I had 10 years of medical issues and medical bills, and he died this year."
Florida is leading the way -- 35 municipalities in the state have decided to change the way pets are purchased, changes Graver hopes can come soon and save others from the heartaches he's endured with Helga.
"How do you feel that Helga may have been a puppy mill puppy?" asked Birch.
"I feel awful because she's had a terrible life," Graver said. "If Puppy Palace and all other pet shops can be closed, at least nobody else would have to go through this in the future, which would be a good thing."
Helga had a close call last week, but an emergency vet visit saved her life.

Below is a list of Florida cities banning the retail sale of cats and/or dogs:

ARRESTS-CHARGES


Judith Ann Norford

Hollywood, FL
07/22/2016 - OUT-OF-CNTY/WARRANT
DOB: 06/28/1961
Offener ID: AT40287085501961062820160722

Puppy Palace


Troy E Terrebonne vs. Puppy Palace
Damages $100 - $2500
01-19-1995
Disposed
Ronald Burg , et al vs. Puppy Palace
Damages $100 - $2500
01-19-1995
Disposed
Joan Marie Schapler vs. Puppy Palace
CC Damages >$5K - $15
02-25-1997
Disposed
Carlos Gonzalez vs. Puppy Palace
Contract & Indebtedness
04-22-1997
Disposed
Stacey Cote vs. Puppy Palace
Small Claims +
04-08-2002
Disposed
Karen Valente vs. Judy Norford
Tem/Perm Injunction
11-03-2003
Reopened - CV
Paul Braxton , et al vs. Puppy Palace
Small Claims +
06-06-2006
Disposed
Richard J Zaden vs. Puppy Palace
Small Claims +
01-11-2007
Disposed
Christina Cafiero vs. Puppy Palace
Small Claims +
01-15-2014
Disposed
Pethealth Services vs. Puppy Palace
CC Damages >$5K - $15
11-19-2014
Reclosed Case
Marcella Sheck vs. Puppy Palace
Neg - Premises Liability Commercial
11-24-2015
Pending







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