Authorities in Johnson County, Mo. on Tuesday rescued 45 dogs and a rabbit from an unlicensed breeding facility where the animals allegedly had been kept in unsanitary living conditions.

Authorities armed with a search warrant found 42 adult dogs and three puppies living inside the residence near Garden City, Mo. Many were housed in wire crates stacked on top of each other. Some crates contained up to three dogs living piles of their own waste, officials said.

Johnson County authorities worked with the Missouri Department of Agriculture and the Humane Society of Missouri. Several dogs were underweight and did not have proper food or water. Some dogs were infested with parasites, eye infections and had feces encrusted on their paws and legs. The rabbit did not have shelter, water or food.

The animals were taken to Humane Society headquarters in St. Louis for a health assessment to determine if they would be available for adoption, said Jeane Jae, spokeswoman for the Humane Society.