BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. -- Attorney General Charlie Crist announced Wednesday that his office is suing a Broward County pet store for allegedly defrauding its customers about the dogs they were purchasing.

Wizard of Claws specializes in the sale of "teacup" dogs, unusually small dogs that are sold for as much as $2,000, but according to consumers, the puppies' pedigrees are often misrepresented and the dogs end up overgrown and often ill.

The investigation began after Crist's office received a complaint from a customer. Investigators said that although Wizard of Claws claimed its dogs were registered with the American Kennel Club -- increasing their value -- the storeowner was actually purchasing many of the dogs from Internet auctions without proper registration or pedigrees.

"Exploiting a fondness for animals for financial gain is simply wrong," said Crist. "It is important to stop this operation and to compensate those who were victimized."

Lack of pedigree information enabled the business owners to misrepresent the dogs' full size and weight, leaving many customers with dogs larger than they expected. The misrepresentation was often not discovered until much later after the dogs grew.

Investigators said they have received more than 20 sworn statements from customers who claimed they bought puppies from Wizard of Claws that had poor health and were larger than "teacup" size.

The lawsuit, filed under the state's Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act, names Jim and Gilda Anderson as defendants. The Andersons could face penalties of up to $10,000.

The complaint also seeks an injunction requiring Wizards of Claws to stop selling pets immediately.