(AP) -- Forty-four dogs and a cat have been removed from a southwest Missouri property amid concerns about their welfare.
The Stone County Sheriff's Department, the Humane Society of Missouri and other organizations removed the animals on Tuesday. They were taken to the Humane Society's facility in St. Louis for care. A disposition hearing is scheduled for Jan. 27 in Galena to determine custody.
The Humane Society says many of the dogs were living inside a trailer and an outbuilding. Officials say conditions were unsanitary and many of the animals appeared to be thin, with coats covered with urine and feces.
The owner's name was not released. Authorities say the owner originally agreed to surrender the dogs, but changed her mind, forcing the sheriff's department to obtain a warrant.
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