JACKSON — When a team of volunteers from an animal rescue organization entered the garage at a township home over the weekend, the situation was worse than they anticipated. The 17 dogs they found were covered in feces and they had never seen daylight or other people.

Jennifer McFadden, president of Red Bank-based Home Free Rescue, said the organization worked with the Associated Humane Society and Popcorn Park Zoo to coordinate the rescue after it was brought to the attention of officials at the NJ SPCA.

McFadden said the rescue group was already familiar with the dogs' owner, having provided her assistance in the past when she's had problems managing the pets in her home. However, once they learned about the situation and the number of dogs and their condition, they asked for reinforcement.

"It was more than our little rescue could manage," McFadden said, adding that the owner was already on the radar of animal control officials. Previously Home Free had removed a litter of 11 puppies from the same home.

According to McFadden, the owner started with just a few dogs but then some of the adult female dogs - who had never been spayed - began to have litters.

Despite the conditions in which the puppies were found, McFadden said the former owner knew she needed help with the animals.

"She really does love the animals, she just is not capable of caring for them," McFadden said.

She said a large part of the problem was that the owner wasn't able to afford the cost of getting the adult dogs spayed or neutered, which McFadden said "speaks to the exorbitant cost of vetting in New Jersey."

When Home Free volunteers arrived at the home, McFadden said the smell emanating from the unventilated garage was overwhelming and could be detected from outside. The garage and the dogs inside were covered in feces and urine. She said the animals had never been around people and were extremely timid and frightened. Volunteers had to chase the frightened dogs in order to remove them from the home.

The Associated Humane Societies and Popcorn Park website states that the dogs were in such poor condition that their hair was matted with feces and in some cases twisted tightly into dreadlocks against their skin. Three male dogs had to be shaved down to their skin, the AHS said.

According to McFadden, groomers at Fins and Feathers Pet Supply in Red Bank bathed and groomed the puppies free of charge after they were rescued. In the coming days, they will see a vet to get their shots, get chipped and spayed or neutered as necessary. The Associated Humane Societies said a bigger challenge was getting the dogs to feel comfortable around people. McFadden credits Home Free volunteers Angela Grassano, Alice and Kandice Gray, Alexis Bulvanoski and Kathy Megill for entering the home to retrieve the dogs.

The NJ Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has not released the name of the dog owner. Matt Stanton, a spokesperson for the NJSPCA said the investigation is ongoing.

"This is an active investigation and charges are being considered," Stanton said.

The discovery of the dogs comes nearly two weeks after 280 dogs were removed from a home in Howell, in what Monmouth County SPCA president and CEO Ross Licitra called the worst case of animal hoarding ever in the county and possibly the state.

At this point, McFadden said, the dogs rescued from Jackson are now happy and healthy and most of them are getting used to human attention. They are being cared for in foster homes and applications are being accepted for those wishing to adopt them. In the meantime, additional foster families are needed.

Toniann Antonelli is a social content producer for NJ 101.5. She can be reached at toniann.antonelli@townsquaremedia.com, or on Twitter @ToniRadio1015.

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