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Pet Shop Owner Charged With Torturing Animals

(AP) LYNWOOD, Calif. A Lynwood pet store owner has pleaded not guilty to 22 felony counts of animal cruelty, ranging from torture to mutilation.

According to an indictment, Animal House Pet Store owner Young Sam Park allegedly performed surgery on animals without anesthesia, suffocated them with rubber gloves and disposed of sick and dying pets in a trash bin. He also allegedly deprived animals in his care of food and water and taped them to tables during surgery.

Park is also charged with three misdemeanors for practicing veterinary medicine without a license and one felony count for possessing a controlled substance, an anesthetic.

Park's daughter says the accusations are false.

He's being held on more than $451,000 bail.

Park faces up to 22 years in prison if convicted.

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