PRIEST RIVER - Animal rescue workers recovered 25 young dogs near Newport, Wash., from what they said appeared to be a puppy mill gone horribly awry.

Authorities contacted Priest River Animal Rescue after discovering the animals in the home of an unidentified woman who had passed away. According to PRAR associate Joy Reynolds, the dogs were in terrible shape.

"Apparently, this woman just lost control of everything," she said last week.

Reynolds said the animals were badly dehydrated, malnourished and filthy. Allowed to roam freely throughout the residence, the home was full of animal feces.

"Some had their hair matted so badly, you couldn't see their eyes," she added. "Others couldn't even be sexed because you just couldn't see anything through that matted hair.

According to Reynolds, the woman had been breeding the animals for sale. However, at some point, she separated herself from society and experienced a shift in personality. When her son arrived from California to oversee the family matters, he said that his mother's behavior was completely different from the woman he remembered.

With no space to accommodate the dogs at the facility, Reynolds took the dogs to her own home.

"I knew Priest River Animal Rescue couldn't handle all these dogs, so I called my husband, and we decided to keep them at our house," she said.

Panhandle Animal Shelter later took control over six of the dogs. Reynolds began the process of vaccinating, grooming and spaying or neutering the remaining animals - an assortment of Pomeranians, Yorkie Terriers, Maltese and either Shih Tzu or Lhasa Apso.

Now that the dogs are receiving proper care, Reynolds said they are doing quite well. Most are between 1 to 2.5 years of age and feature fairly mild temperaments. However, they aren't yet house-trained, a fact prospective adopters should keep in mind.

The dogs will soon be ready to find new homes. Reynolds isn't sure how much they will cost since the total vaccination and spaying or neutering expenses aren't clear.

"I just really wish there could be a stop to this kind of thing," she said.