Hundreds of Dogs Saved From Nevada Breeding Farm in Huge Police Operation

Authorities have seized around 300 dogs from a property in Nevada in what officials have described as a "large-scale" animal cruelty situation.

Detectives from Nye County Sheriff's Office (NCSO) obtained a search warrant for a property in Amargosa Valley following an investigation and visited the location on Tuesday.

There, officials arrested a couple—Oskana Higgins and Vasili Platunov—on felony animal abuse and neglect charges, the NCSO said.

Deputies remained on the scene throughout the night, continuing to examine the property for evidence as part of the investigation. Animal control officers and veterinary staff were also present on scene in order to look after the 300 or so dogs.

The NCSO expects that the investigation will continue for several several more days and it is likely that the couple will face additional charges.

Platunov runs one of the few Caucasian shepherd dog breeding operations in the country, keeping dogs at the property in Amargosa Valley and another location, KTNV reported.

Caucasian shepherds are large, livestock guardian dogs originating from the Caucasus region, which lies at the crossroads of eastern Europe and western Asia.

While the full details of this particular case have yet to be revealed—officials say more information will be released as soon as possible—a number of dog-breeding operations in the United States are characterized by poor animal welfare standards.

The Humane Society estimates that there are around 10,000 currently active puppy mills in the country. These are inhumane, high-volume breeding operations that breed dogs for profit.

Dogs in puppy mills are often sick, have not been socialized properly and their basic needs are often unmet. Mothers can spend their entire lives in cramped cages with little-to-no personal attention. When they are no longer able to breed, they are often abandoned or killed.

In April this year, Nye County animal control officials rescued more than two dozen dogs from the property in Amargosa Valley, KTNV reported.

Several of these dogs were malnourished, Desert Haven Animal Society executive director Beth Kakavulias, who helped with the rescue, told KTNV.

Dogs that would normally weigh 150 to 200 pounds were found to weigh only around 55 to 60 pounds, Kakavulias said.

Platunov told KTNV in June that he was worked with Caucasian shepherds for more than four decades and any allegations that the dogs in his breeding operation were not being looked after properly are "B.S. and fake."

The NCSO said it was seeking assistance from rescue shelters that could help with housing some of the dogs that have been seized.

"The Nye County Sheriff's Office is in the middle of a large scale animal cruelty situation in which there are hundreds of dogs involved," the NCSO said in a statement.

"The dogs are under court order at this time and are not adoptable until the resolution of the court process, thus this will be a foster situation until the process is complete. If you are interested in assisting, please e-mail sheriff@co.nye.nv.us and identify your shelter, and the number of dogs you can assist with."

Newsweek has contacted Nye County Sheriff's Office for comment.