None of the animals appeared to be suffering from hypothermia, Halpin said, though they were vulnerable to it.

Westminster Animal Control took the dogs from their home at 21 Harrington Road, said Rob Halpin, spokesman for the Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Many were found with matted hair and soaked in their own body fluids.

Seventy-one dachshunds were rescued Monday from a home in Westminster, where some were kept in outdoor cages in below-freezing temperatures and others were found covered in urine and feces, officials said.

After being held at local animal control facilities overnight, 29 of the dogs will be sent to a MSPCA facility in Methuen, an unspecified number will go to an MSPCA shelter in Boston, and the remaining dogs will stay in Westminster.


The next step is to conduct thorough veterinary examinations of all the dogs to look for any harm that may have come from housing so many in such a small setting, Halpin said.

“It’s going to take some time for us to get the dogs settled and normalized into a shelter environment,” he added.

Once the dogs are cared for, they will be placed for adoption.

The MSPCA is investigating. No charges have been filed.

No one could be reached at a number listed in public records for the Harrington Road home.

One of the puppies had its ears cleaned. David L Ryan/Globe Staff

Aneri Pattani can be reached at aneri.pattani@globe.com and @apattani95.