WESTMINSTER - Animal welfare authorities rescued 71 dachshund-type dogs from a Westminster kennel Tuesday morning, many of which were underweight and covered in feces.

The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) and Westminster animal control officials seized the dachshunds from Cedarshake Kennels at 21 Harrington Road after reportedly receiving a tip about the conditions they were kept in.

The MSPCA reports that most of the dogs, which are a mix of males, females and puppies, are “underweight and matted and some are coated in urine and feces.” The conditions inside the Westminster kennel were described as extremely dirty by MSPA officials who noted that some of the dogs were housed in outdoor cages with “little protection from the elements.”

Sixty of the animals have been transported to the MSPCA-Angell's adoption centers in Boston and Methuen. The remaining dogs will stay at the Westminster facility until new adoptive homes can be found.

The dogs arrived at the MSPCA adoption centers this afternoon, where they await veterinary and behavioral evaluations.

The MSPCA's Law Enforcement department is investigating.

"At this stage we cannot comment on the status of the investigation but, should there be details we can release in the days and weeks ahead, we will do so," said law enforcement officer Nadya Branca.

Mike Keiley, director of the Noble Family Animal Care and Adoption Center at the MSPCA-Nevins Farm in Methuen, is overseeing the arrival and the sheltering of 30 of the dogs.

"We'll do everything we can to make the dogs comfortable, and we expect to carry out health and behavior checks in the days ahead," he said.

"The dogs are coming from a traumatic environment and they'll need time to settle down. They'll need to be spayed and neutered, and they'll likely have some health issues that we'll need to help them overcome," Keiley said.

The MSPCA will announce availability of the dogs for adoption once these evaluations have been completed.

The kennel owners are not facing any charges.

The Sentinel & Enterprise reports that a man who answered the door at the kennel Monday night refused to comment.

Associated Press content was used in this report.