© The Canadian PressDr. Barry Kellogg, Humane Society International veterinary medical doctor, holds a breeding female at an emergency shelter that was rescued from a breeding operation in southwestern Quebec.
More than 500 dogs have been seized from a Quebec puppy mill in what could represent the largest animal cruelty case in the province's history.
The dogs were found Friday on a property in a rural area west of Montreal. They were living in poor conditions without sufficient food and water.
Guy Auclair, a spokesman for the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, said the scale of the seizure is without precedent in Quebec.
"We have had this kind of situation before, but (with) a lower number of animals," Auclair said in an interview Saturday.
Auclair said the dogs were different breeds and ranged in age from puppies to fully-grown.
Many were found suffering from skin and respiratory problems, he said.
They were placed under the care of Humane Society International, which had already transported several hundred dogs to a treatment centre Saturday.