The Oregon Humane Society is working to save as many as 100 dogs who have been living with barely any food and left outside in freezing conditions.

Here are the details from the OHS website.

Most of the dogs are living without shelter on a rural property in Princeton, Oregon, about 20 miles outside of Burns. Some of the dogs are living underground in holes covered with planks, others are chained to farm equipment and have little or no shelter from the snow, wind and sub-freezing temperatures common in the high-desert country.

The rescue team is expected to return to the OHS shelter in Portland on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at approximately 4 pm. A three-person OHS team traveled to the property Monday and returned with 14 dogs, including four puppies who are one-week old and six puppies who are three- to four-months old.

The dogs being rescued were subsisting on cattle carcasses obtained from a local meat processing plant. The property was littered with piles of bones and cattle skeletons. Also visible were the unburied remains of at least one deceased dog.

OHS is perhaps the only animal shelter in the region with the resources to care and find homes for so many dogs at one time. “Most of these dogs, despite their living conditions, are friendly to people and want to be around us. I hope we can get them into loving homes in time for the holidays,” said OHS Executive Director Sharon Harmon.

OHS was called on by Harney Country Sheriff David Glerup, who arrested three individuals and charged them with five counts of animal neglect.

The case was brought to Sheriff Glerup’s attention by county social workers who were investigating an unrelated complaint against the owners of the dogs brought by an 11-year-old child living on the property. Officials have since removed all children from the property.

The individuals charged have surrendered the dogs allowing the OHS to be able to put them up for adoption.  A few of the dogs will go to past owners who will keep them in their home as as part of the agreement to surrender the remaining animals.  I don’t really get the last part because if the dogs had been surrendered by the owners at an earlier date they obviously weren’t wanted, I can’t see why they would be given back.

This is a horrible situation, thank goodness the OHS has stepped in to give these dogs a chance at life.  If you would like to donate to help these dogs get the medical care they deserve and eventually into  loving forever homes go to the OHS website where you can make an online donation.