72 dogs taken from puppy mill in Van Zandt County, SPCA says

VAN ZANDT COUNTY, Texas – The SPCA of Texas, the Van Zandt County Sheriff's Office and the Van Zandt County Constable, Precinct 2, seized 72 dogs from a puppy mill, including 12 dead animals, at a property in Canton on Wednesday, according to a Facebook post by the SPCA.

PHOTOS: 72 dogs taken from puppy mill in Van Zandt County, SPCA says

One adult dog and 11 puppies were found individually wrapped in plastic bags in the kitchen freezer.

The rescued dogs were taken by the SPCA to the organization's Russell E. Dealey Animal Rescue Center in Dallas.

The dogs will be examined and cared for until a custody hearing takes place, the SPCA said.

The SPCA said many of the dogs were living in feces-filled crates with no access to food or water. Several nursing mothers with litters of puppies were found confined in small crates in a closet, according to the SPCA.

"Other dogs roamed the urine-soaked, feces-filled house with little to no access to food or water," the post read.

The owner told investigators the dogs were being sold for profit, according to the post.

The puppy mill bill, known as the Large-Scale Commercial Dog and Cat Breeder Bill, took effect on Sept. 1, 2012. Breeders who keep 11 or more breeding females or sell 20 or more puppies or kittens a year are required to abide by the guidelines of the law.

All large-scale animal breeders are required by law to be licensed and inspected regularly, but it is not clear if this puppy mill was properly licensed.

For more information on the SPCA of Texas' efforts to help abused, neglected and homeless animals and to support the SPCA of Texas' other programs and services, visit its website.