At least 36 animals, mostly dogs, have been rescued from a house in Nemaha County. Animal control officers say they had been left alone without adequate food, water or shelter for at least two weeks.

It was a tip to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture that brought the Nebraska Humane Society to the property. The couple who live there were not home, but we're told they run some kind of shelter out of the residence.

The animals lived on the property in Johnson, Nebraska. "When you first walked in the door, that floor was covered in feces,” said Nebraska Humane Society field supervisor Kristie Biodrowski. “A lot of the dogs were very scared.”

A cat and five dogs were inside with at least 17 more dogs roaming outside, plus two that ran away from officers into a field.

“We found several dogs living in unsanitary conditions, many without food, shelter or water, but many of them do appear dirty and underweight, needing some vet care,” said Biodrowski.

An old camper turned henhouse rocked as investigators brought out eight chickens, four ducks and a turkey.

Perhaps the most disturbing discovery in a fire pit were the burned bodies of three small dogs or puppies. An officer found them during a final check of the grounds. They were mixed in with charred trash. How they died is uncertain.

"They're pretty far decomposed,” said NHS investigator Caleb Morgenson. “It would have to be up to a veterinarian to determine the type of death."

Some of the dogs appear somewhat healthy, considering what they've been through. "Some of them definitely appear very fearful, unsocialized and that could just be from the stress,” said Biodrowski.

Others seemed quite happy to see the officers, perhaps to see anyone. "From here, our job is to take care of the animals and provide what needs to be done for them,” said Biodrowski.

The Humane Society is hopeful most of the dogs will be adoptable. They're mostly young to middle-aged, small breeds like rat terrier mixes and beagle mixes. There are also a few older labs and a German shepherd mix. The animals are now in Omaha.