TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida lawmakers took a key step on Tuesday toward approving a new law protecting consumers when buying a dog or cat.

A recent NBC 6 investigation of one of the country's biggest pet sellers was shown to those lawmakers Tuesday afternoon in Tallahassee.

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Lawmakers View 'Puppy Heartbreak' Atty. General Launches Investigation
Puppy Heartbreak Part I
Puppy Heartbreak Part II
Puppy Heartbreak Part III
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Puppy Heartbreak Part IV
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Florida senators from the Agriculture Committee watched the NBC 6 series "Puppy Heartbreak" about Wizard Of Claws, the Broward County pet store that sells trendy, small dogs for as much as $10,000. They then approved the bill by a vote of 6-1.

The highest quality dogs, claims the Wizard Of Claws Web site.

But NBC 6 found complaints nationwide from some customers who said their dogs got very sick soon after buying them.

NBC 6's undercover investigation found some of the dogs were actually coming from two breeding operations in the Midwest -- experts call them puppy mills -- where disease and genetic defects are more likely.

"Clearly, we want to make sure that pet owners throughout the state are getting what they pay for, which is a healthy animal," said Sen. Rod Smith D-Gainesville, who chairs the Agriculture Committee. "You know, pet owners -- we're all the same -- once we get the animal, we love it to death. And we want to make sure it's healthy."

The bill would require pet stores to tell the buyer where the dog or cat came from, provide papers to register the animal, reimburse vet bills up to 150 percent of the price of the pet and impose fines up to $10,000 for violating the law.

"But I think ultimately we're going to end up with a bill that is consumer friendly. And it was the will of the committee to go forward," Smith said.

Sen. Larcenia Bullard, D-Miami -Dade, who sponsored the bill, said the Legislature needs to know that pet stores operate with, in her mind, far too little regulation.

"There is nothing in law that holds them accountable to the animals once they're there," Bullard said.

The man who runs Wizard Of Claws, Jim Anderson, vowed he would no longer do business with the two puppy mills NBC 6 investigated. But, in fact, he recently purchased at least one dog from one of the breeders.

Anderson, though, supports the bill which now faces other committee votes before it would go to the full Florida Senate.

For more information, visit the Florida Senate's page on Bill 470.

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Reporter Jeff Burnside, Investigative Producer Scott Zamost
Airdate: March 21, 2006