One of South Florida's most notorious sellers of puppy mill dogs was back in a Broward courtroom Tuesday where he was hit with over $26,000 in fines but still allowed to sell dogs.
Jim Anderson, former owner of the Wizard of Claws pet store in Tamarac, was fined $26,500 for violating Florida's pet lemon law and a lawsuit settlement agreement earlier this year, but will stay in business as long as he follows strict guidelines for selling puppies.
Broward Circuit Judge Robert Rosenberg, who determined Anderson had violated the law and settlement agreement in May, said the Anderson home will be subjected to regular inspections, they must adhere to the state's puppy lemon laws, and above all else, must only sell healthy pups.
"It goes without saying that the welfare of the dogs on hand is a foremost consideration," said Judge Rosenberg in his ruling.
Anderson and wife Gilda were the subject of an NBC Miami investigation after it was discovered that many dogs from the puppy mills where the Anderson's were getting them were becoming sick and sometimes dying.
A class action lawsuit going back to 2007 had accused them of selling extremely sick dogs to unsuspecting customers.
Public outcry over the practices helped bankrupt their business, and when they signed the settlement, it effectively shut them down for a decade unless they could meet stringent selling guidelines.
But in December, the Andersons went back to work, keeping as many as 50 dogs inside cages in their home before transporting them to an apartment in Pembroke Pines where they were then sold. Over 150 dogs were sold through the Andersons since December.
Lawyers claimed the Anderson's didn't report to the Attorney General each month, as was required under the settlement if they started selling dogs again.
In court Tuesday, it was noted that a recent inspection of the Anderson's home showed the dogs, 54 in all, to be in generally good condition.
"These people are people who love animals, they are people who take care of the animals that they sell," Anderson lawyer Roberto Stanziale said.
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The Anderson's didn't comment after Tuesday's hearing but Stanziale said they're pleased to be staying in business.
"I think that the judge issued what is a very fair ruling...the judge could not just let them go," Stanziale said. "The Anderson's are able to continue to sell puppies as they always did, to stay in business and just to make the payment that they're required to make. We consider it a victory today."
