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CHARLOTTE – Nearly two dozen dogs rescued from a Randolph County home are now recovering at the Humane Society of Charlotte and in foster homes.

The Randolph County Health Department says the 17 dogs were surrendered earlier this week when the owner could no longer care for them. Most of the animals have severe infections of the skin, ears and eyes but no charges are being filed in the case.

"We thought we were walking into a situation where these were young adult dogs in fairly good health and we would be able to re-home them fairly quickly," said Shelly Moore, executive director of the Humane Society of Charlotte.

But she quickly learned that wasn't the case.

"These animals were used to breed puppies for sale and didn't receive the attention medically, nutritionally," Moore said.

A spokesperson for the Randolph County Health Department, which handles animal control, says this was not a puppy mill -- the dogs were neglected but not abused.

The county says the owner of the dogs was at one time a breeder and got in over her head. She is the one who asked for help, surrendering 21 dogs. About 20 more remain on property but will be placed in adoptive homes.

"All of them were living in conditions where there were multiple dogs in different kennels that weren’t very well cleaned out. They were very matted, dirty, overgrown nails," Humane Society of Charlotte veterinarian Judi Vogt said.

Vogt says the dogs she's treating aren't in good shape. Many if not all were infested with flees and have teeth, ear and eye infections.

"Everything these dogs went through is completely preventable and easily treated with minimal care," she said.

Click here for more information on adopting one of these dogs.