The owner of the Manly, Iowa, commercial puppy facility where 160 Samoyed dogs were rescued earlier this month wants to keep nine dogs and four cats, court documents state.

A hearing to determine whether White Fire Kennels owner Barb Kavars will be able to keep the animals will be at 9 a.m. Thursday in Worth County District Court. If the animals are deemed threatened, the court will order Worth County Sheriff Dan Fank to decide the future destination for the animals.

Investigators allegedly discovered the Samoyed dogs — a Siberian breed of medium-sized white or cream-colored sled dogs — in a search warrant executed Nov. 12.

Of the nine animals Kavars wants to keep, court documents state three dogs and four cats were found inside the residence and six dogs were found in outside kennels.

The nine dogs allegedly had matted and dirty fur as well as untreated medical conditions.

“The matting on some of the dogs was so severe to encompass entire tails or underbellies,” court documents state. “Many were underweight, some to a significant degree.”

Some dogs were described as suffering from severe dental problems.

“Their nails were untrimmed, and fecal matter was present on their bodies and between the pads of their feet,” court documents state. “Dogs crowded together were barking and fighting, and some were cowering. Some had trouble standing and walking.”

The animals are in the custody of the Sheriff’s Office but are still considered Kavars’ property.

“The majority of the seized animals were kept outdoors in kennels with little to no food,” court documents state. “No clean water was present; a few buckets contained a small amount of frozen water. No mechanisms to keep drinking water heated above freezing were present.”

According to court records, the kennels had little roof cover and “were full of feces.”

“Fallen branches and other debris were laying throughout the property,” it stated. “The kennels were overcrowded, and none were heated, despite the below-freezing temperatures.”

The dogs were examined by American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals licensed veterinarians from Nov. 12 to Nov. 15, and some have been placed with shelters and rescue groups throughout the Midwest.

The remaining dogs were expected to remain at an undisclosed temporary shelter where veterinary forensic and behavior experts continued completing assessments to support the investigation led by the Sheriff’s Office. 

Three dogs and four cats were found inside the residence, which court documents state was “unsafe for human or animal habitation.”

“An overwhelming odor of ammonia and feces permeated the home, making it nearly impossible to breathe, and caused irritation to both lungs and eyes,” court documents state. “Containers of unopened food — both human and animal — were piled throughout the home.”

A water bowl with a tissue floating in it was described as being on the first floor, and a litter box inside a second cardboard box — both overfilling with feces — was in the basement, records state.

One dog was described as having all four feet “stained from prolonged contact with urine and feces.”

Fank said he hopes the investigation is complete by the end of the year, after which Kavars could be charged.

The ASPCA is providing shelter, food, water, behavioral enrichment and necessary vet care for the rescued animals.

The Sheriff’s Office had investigated the facility since last spring. Kavars relinquished more than 100 dogs over the last few months but allegedly allowed the Samoyeds to continue breeding.