Update 4 p.m. Oct. 8 from the Johnson County Sheriff's Office: The Humane Society of the United States is in the process of leaving the state with more than 90 dogs. None had to be euthanized. The owners signed their rights over. These dogs are going to a major shelter out-of-state where they will be spayed, neutered, doctored, loved and given good homes. Thanks to everyone for their help of services and offers of help.

LAMAR, Ark.  – United Animal Nations has deployed a team of volunteers specially trained in emergency animal sheltering to care for 100 dogs, five cats and two guinea pigs rescued Oct. 6 from horrific conditions at a Lamar puppy mill.

Lamar is in Johnson County, in the Arkansas River Valley.

Fourteen volunteers with UAN’s Emergency Animal Rescue Service have traveled from Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and other parts of Arkansas to care for the rescued animals at a temporary shelter. Distinguished by their red shirts, EARS volunteers will feed, water and comfort the dogs; clean cages and assist veterinarians who are providing any necessary medical care.

“The UAN volunteers have been working non-stop to help the dogs acclimate to their new surroundings and give them clean kennels, food, water and attention like they never experienced before,” UAN Emergency Services Manager Janell Matthies said. “They are quickly improving with the extraordinary care they are receiving.”

UAN is assisting The Humane Society of the United States and the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, two organizations that rescued the animals and investigated the case against the puppy mill in conjunction with Needy Paws Animal Shelter of Clarksville.

A puppy mill is a large-scale breeding operation where animals are housed in substandard conditions without proper food, water, socialization and veterinary care. Dogs bred in puppy mills are typically sold at pet stores, through classified advertisements and over the Internet. In 2009 alone, UAN’s EARS volunteers have sheltered and cared for more than 2,500 animals rescued from eight puppy mills in the U.S. and Canada.

What you can do to help:

The Johnson County Sheriff's Office said the Humane Society of the United States needs financial donations to care for the animals. Also, the Sheriff's Office is receiving many phone calls from people wanting to know how they can adopt one of the rescued animals, but that is not possible right now due to the legal situation and the health of the animals. If you have any questions for the Sheriff's Office, please leave a message at: (479) 754-2200.

• Visit the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, AR, on Facebook for further updates.
• Visit http://network.bestfriends.org/campaigns/puppymills/default.aspx to learn more about puppy mills and what you can do to put a stop to them.