Forty-one new dogs, some purebred, are waiting for adoption at the Central Missouri Humane Society.

Don Shrubshell photo

Alisha Ramis, left, assistant adoption manager at the Central Missouri Humane Society, and Teal Alt, shelter operations coordinator, check a beagle today that was among 41 dogs taken from an animal breeding facility in northern Missouri. The dogs will be available for adoption on Friday.

The Columbia shelter received the dogs yesterday after the state took possession from a commercial breeding facility in northern Missouri. Jerry Eber, a veterinarian with the Missouri Department of Agriculture, said the breeder had reached capacity and needed to reduce its numbers.

"They look like they’re in pretty good shape," Humane Society Executive Director Patty Forister said. "Overall, it wasn’t an extreme neglect situation, but there were some signs that they needed a little better care."

The animals were dirty when they arrived at the shelter, and some have injuries that need to be cared for, Forister said. Shelter staff are checking the dogs’ health and temperament.

The unexpected arrival of the dogs has placed an extra burden on the Columbia facility, Forister said. Some dogs that have been at the shelter for a while have been placed in foster homes to make room for the new arrivals. But Forister said the dogs are "highly placeable," and she expects them to be adopted quickly. The 41 dogs include purebred golden retrievers, miniature pinschers, Shetland sheepdog mixes, West Highland terriers and beagles.

The public will have a chance to see the animals during a "Yappy Hour" from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Humane Society shelter. Ideal adopters are people who have experience with puppy-mill dogs or who have well-behaved dogs already, said Teal Alt, shelter operations coordinator.

"They’re not going to know what love is at the beginning," Alt said. She said the shelter would make sure the dogs won’t harm anyone, "but they have to understand it’s going to be a long process. These are not for first-time dog owners … They’re works in progress, but they’re going to make good dogs because they’re going to know how good they have it."