BREAKING: Dozens of Dogs, Some Dead, Found Neglected and Abandoned in Riverside County Home

Riverside County, CA – More than 30 dogs have been found abandoned Wednesday inside a Riverside County home, in extreme conditions of filth and neglect, officials report.

Local animal control officers are investigating a suspected unlicensed dog breeder who abandoned the canines– all pit bulls– in a house on La Sierra Avenue, just south of the Riverside (91) Freeway. Ten dogs were found dead and at least 25 others in emaciated condition, Riverside County Animal Services spokesman John Welsh says.

"We're investigating this as a case of animal cruelty," Welsh said. "These dogs have clearly been neglected."

Several photos of the dogs and the house were posted to Twitter by the agency, showing the conditions of the home and animals.

Welsh said an animal control officer was first called to the Avocado Way property Tuesday after a neighbor reported a foul stench emanating from it. The officer decided to wait until 11 Wednesday morning to attempt to access the property, which is just off La Sierra Avenue, on the back side of a relatively new subdivision lining Greentree Drive.

"There's a heavy stench all around the property," Welsh said. "There's all manner of animal waste inside. It's a really bad situation."

Indications are the location may have been used for breeding, but Welsh could not immediately confirm that. The owner of the property was not on-site when the eight animal control officers conducted their raid, according to Welsh.

He said of the 25-plus dogs that were found alive, almost all of them had protruding rib cages.

The malnourished pit bulls will be impounded at the Western Riverside County Animal Shelter in Jurupa Valley, where they'll receive veterinary care, Welsh said, adding that he was unsure whether all of the dogs would survive.

"There's no record of a kennel permit here," Welsh said. "We had not received any prior complaints."

"It's a free-for-all," he added. "We don't know if the guy lived here or what."

Under county ordinances, a person who breeds any type of canine must be licensed. Anyone who owns pit bulls and isn't a registered breeder must have the dogs sterilized.

Welsh said the suspect who kept the dogs seized Wednesday could face either misdemeanor or felony animal cruelty charges, depending on the circumstances and whether the District Attorney's Office accepts the case.

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– City News Service contributed to this report.