GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The dogs removed from a filthy pickup truck in Walker were surrendered to the Kent County Animal Shelter Tuesday and are being prepared for adoption.

Since arriving at the Kent County Animal Shelter, one of the 17 dogs has given birth to two puppies, increasing the number to 19, according to the animal shelter.

The dog owner, Carolyn Newsome, pleaded not guilty to failing to provide 10 or more animals with animal control. It’s a felony punishable by up to four years in prison, a $5,000 fine and 500 hours of community service.

The dogs were found the evening of Oct. 14 after someone called in a report of “several” dogs in a pickup truck parked outside a restaurant along Alpine Avenue north of I-96. Responding animal control officers, deputies and Walker police officers found the pickup packed with dogs barking nonstop. A responding deputy said there was a significant amount of feces and no water inside the vehicle.

The animal shelter said the dogs — a mix of breeds and sizes but mostly middle-aged adults — are getting ready for adoption as they undergo the necessary evaluations and care.

Animals processed by local law enforcement and sent to the shelter can only receive immediate, necessary medical treatment until they are officially signed over to the shelter by the court system. Now, the shelter can begin a more complete medical evaluation and treatment schedule and determine which dogs will be eligible for adoption.

“Now we look at adding a microchip, making sure the spay and neuter surgery is complete,” shelter director Angela Hollinshead said. “If there is anybody that needs dental care, getting that done. If any of the dogs are heartworm positive, we can look at treatment for them.”

The shelter could not speculate on how many of the dogs found in Walker will eventually be eligible for adoption.

“Most of them are very friendly. We have found they are very social dogs, so we don’t have any concerns about their behavior, but once we can start treating them more and getting at those medical needs, we can figure out how many will go up for adoption,” Hollinshead said.

A few will likely not be candidates for adoption, she warned. If that’s the case, they may be moved to a higher-acuity facility to get additional medical care or transferred to the foster care system.

With the addition of the 19 dogs, the animal shelter said it is now caring for 94 dogs. More than 30 are ready for adoption and have been spayed or neutered, heartworm tested and microchipped. Until Dec. 1, the animal shelter is offering a special adoption fee of $50 for all dogs. It includes a Kent County dog license and an extra month of flea/tick and heartworm preventative prescriptions. For more information on pet adoption from KCAS, visit the organization’s website or call 616.632.7300.