State officials seized 187 mistreated dogs and cats when they shut down the Miami County Humane Society last month.

Now, about 100 of the animals are still being cared for by the Lawrence Humane Society, which is seeking people willing to take in the ones suitable for adoption.

“If people have room in their house and in their hearts, this is the time of year you definitely want to bring an animal home and get them out of the shelter,” said Midge Grinstead, director of the Lawrence Humane Society.

When the animals arrived at the Lawrence Humane Society in the middle of the night Nov. 30, they were gaunt and terrified.

Grinstead expressed dismay that someone ostensibly running an animal shelter would keep animals in the conditions these were in.

Kansas Animal Health Department officials said they had repeatedly attempted to check out the facility, but were stymied by regulations that require the operator to be present for the department’s inspections. Whenever they came around, the operator, Sheila Jones, of Paola, was away.

Linda Watrak, left, animal caretaker at the Lawrence Humane Society and shelter volunteer Robby Leutzinger play with two of the 85 cats recently seized from Miami County. Eleven cats and 16 dogs have been adopted from the original 187 animals taken in by the shelter in the seizure. About 50 animals ended up in shelters in Wichita, Hays and Topeka.

Finally in July, Debra Duncan, director of Animal Facilities for the department, was able to perform an inspection. It was the first of three that Jones failed. Several problems were found in earlier inspections, but nothing was serious enough to warrant the state stepping in. That point was reached in November.

“The only way we can seize the animals is if they’re endangered,” Duncan said. “We didn’t believe the safety of the animals was endangered. Certainly we wish we had gone in sooner.”

Jones was supposed to be finding adoptive homes for the animals but was taking in more than she relinquished, Duncan said.

Duncan ultimately obtained a search warrant, empowering her to inspect the facility even if Jones was absent.

Jones, Duncan said, was returning from a trip to the South, where she apparently was picking up animals left homeless in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Inside, Duncan said she found 187 animals, some being housed in pens holding as many as 50 dogs each. Most of the dogs lacked adequate bedding or shelter, but the cats’ situation was worse.

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“We went downstairs and there were two dead cats. She (Jones) said one died from old age and the other one was bitten by a dog,” Duncan said. “But we performed an autopsy and both died from malnutrition.”

Duncan’s most vivid memory from that day was seeing about 20 cats gathered around a large bowl of water. They drank for seven minutes straight.

Duncan said she believed Jones genuinely thought she was rescuing the animals despite the horrid conditions.

After finding the animals, Duncan called Grinstead to ask whether the Lawrence shelter could help. All 187 animals came here, but about 50 animals ended up in shelters in Wichita, Hays and Topeka.

The cats had upper respiratory infections and eye problems and many were blind, Grinstead said. Two cats and four dogs had to be euthanized, and two cats died.

Since then, the remaining animals have been nursed back to health. Sixteen dogs and 11 cats have been adopted, mostly by people from outside of Lawrence.

Grinstead said the other animals would have a home at the Lawrence shelter until new owners are found for them.