MADISON, Wis. -- More than 300 dogs were rescued from the Thyme and Sage Ranch in Cazenovia last month and many of the animals are finding new homes.

The Dane County Humane Society took in 71 of those dogs, which are slowly being adopted out. The ones needing the least amount of medical or behavioral attention have gone first. Eleven have been adopted out and 13 more are on adoption holds, officials siad.

"There were some in pretty rough shape but you can really see a good turnaround now after they've had some steady conditions," said Gayle Viney, of the Humane Society.

The dogs in greatest need of care and recovery time are the 32 being held as evidence in the trial against ranch owner, Jennifer Petkus, as well as 15 others who simply need more time to recover, according to Humane Society officials.

"We saw a lot that came in with different skin conditions, skin diseases, some that were sick, so we really took the time to evaluate each one to make sure we could help it immediately," said Viney.

She said the majority of the dogs are in desperate need of dental care.

"Some just need a basic cleaning. Some need everything including extractions," said Viney. "It's something that's an expensive part of an animal's care."

Viney said a pricetag on that type of service could run from $400 to $800.

"We're not government or county-funded," said Viney. "We want to be able to help all these dogs in situations like this, but without the support we wouldn't be able to do that. It's definitely a tough time right now because we have a lot of dogs in general and to throw on even more. You want to do everything you can but it can get really tight financially."

Veterinarians said a dog's dental health is critical to its overall health. One key indicator is extremely bad breath.

"When it gets to that point, there's usually a lot of bacteria underneath the gums, a lot of inflammation which can lead to bone loss and then the teeth get loose. That's just chronic pain," said veterinarian Dr. Lori Scarlett, with McFarland Animal Hospital.

Scarlett said that an infection that begins in a tooth can travel to the heart and liver, and for some animals become life-threatening.

"We need that help to be able to help these dogs to get available for adoption even sooner. We want to help them get that dental care before they go home," said Viney.

Officials with the Humane Society are hoping local veterinarians will volunteer their time to help with some of the dental care needed for the dogs.

They said that veterinarians interested in helping can contact the Humane Society at 608-838-0413, ext. 129.

"In the coming weeks, there's going to be more and more (dogs) that will be coming to the floor," said Viney. "We'll have everything from younger puppies to older adult dogs."