Those 57 dogs taken from abusive NC home? Some were pregnant. Now there are 80.

The Orange County Animal Shelter seized 57 dogs and puppies in October as part of animal cruelty investigation into a breeder.

But the number of dogs has grown to 80, as some of the canines were pregnant when they were taken into the shelter’s care.

Now, officials are turning to GoFundMe to raise money to care for the mastiffs, French and English bulldogs.

“Daily care for these dogs is straining resources as Animal Services navigates the legal process required to re-home these dogs,” according to the GoFundMe page at gofundme.com/f/bulldogscare.

Bob Marotto, Orange County’s Animal Services director, told The News & Observer it costs about $1,026 a day to house and care for the dogs.

Animal Control took the dogs in after reports of malnourishment, fleas and unsanitary conditions, The News & Observer previously reported.

One puppy died as a result of complications from hookworms and coccida, Marotto previously said in a news release.

Cynthia Riggan, 65, and Taylor Doar, 35, face multiple felony and misdemeanor charges of cruelty to animals, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.

Meanwhile, the shelter has fielded numerous inquiries about adopting the dogs, according to a statement on the Orange County Animal Shelter website. But the dogs cannot be adopted until the district attorney “assures that information and evidence critical to its criminal cases are satisfactorily gathered,” the statement says.

Orange County has asked Riggan and Doar to pay to house the animals.

“We are grateful to the public for their patience and understanding as we work to care for these animals and prepare for their re-homing,” Marotto told ABC11, The News & Observer’s newsgathering partner.

This story was originally published January 9, 2020 at 5:45 AM with the headline "Those 57 dogs taken from abusive NC home? Some were pregnant. Now there are 80.."