2 Accused of Illegally Selling Puppies Plead

Two men have pleaded not guilty to 58 charges related to an illegal Pomeranian puppy mill.

Mark Bock, 37, and Jeffrey Worley, 38, face 14 counts of felony animal abuse and 44 misdemeanor charges stemming from their business, Pearlie’s House of Pomeranians. If convicted on all counts, they face up to 13 years in state prison.

The men allegedly sold Pomeranians out of their Dana Point home and failed to report more than $484,000 in taxable income.

Authorities said the men sold sick puppies at high prices and that one died within 10 days. In January 2005, authorities seized 39 puppies hidden in the attic and found two dead in the freezer. Most were ailing with respiratory and parasitic problems.