San Diego

Poway Woman Accused of Hoarding More Than 90 Yorkies Pleads Not Guilty

All of the dogs were suffering from a variety of health conditions, according to officials

A Poway woman, accused of hoarding dozens of Yorkshire terrier and Yorkie-mix dogs inside her home pleaded not guilty on Monday.

Christine Calvert, 62, was charged with 10 felony counts, including animal abuse and neglect, and one count of resisting an officer.

Calvert, along with 73-year-old Mark Vattimo, was arrested in February for hoarding more than 169 Yorkies inside the couple's home in Poway.

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All of the dogs were suffering from a variety of health conditions, according to officials. They were placed in the care of the San Diego Humane Society. 

More than 1,500 adoption applications were submitted for the Yorkies, prompting the organization to close the adoption process earlier than planned.

If convicted, Calvert faces up to nine years in prison.

Her next court appearance will be on April 13.

Ed. Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the name of a defendant. The article has been corrected. We regret the error.

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