An animal welfare group is looking for homes for more than 140 pedigree dogs rescued in a raid on a suspected illegal dog breeding centre. The dogs were discovered living outside, cooped up in filthy, cramped metal cages with very little shelter from the weather in Lau Fau Shan, in the New Territories, six months ago. Some of the dogs were pregnant, others diseased, while some showed signs of being confined to cages for years with matted coats, bad teeth and deformed paws. They were all contained in small wire cages. Dr Fiona Woodhouse, a vet who helped to clean up and treat the dogs, said some may have had their vocal cords cut to stop them from barking. 'A lot of them showed signs of long-term caging with inflamed feet and long nails. They looked like they hadn't been on a solid floor for a while,' she said. 'Although there were no puppies on site, we strongly suspect they were being bred, because why would anyone keep such a large quantity of pedigree dogs in such conditions?' Woodhouse, deputy director of welfare at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), said the dogs had medical problems associated with a low level of care and neglect. They are aged from two to eight years and include poodles, chihuahuas, corgis, huskies, dachshunds, schnauzers and bulldogs. They were rescued by the SPCA, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) and the police last September. But the dogs could not be put up for adoption until the owner appeared in court. Two people faced charges in connection with the dogs. A woman who was looking after the dogs was bound over by the court in March after the prosecution offered no evidence. The owner, Lam Wai-sze, appeared in Tuen Mun Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to charges of having a dog without a licence and permitting unnecessary suffering of an animal. He was fined HK$5,000 and ordered to do 150 hours of community service. The court also ordered confiscation of the dogs and put them in the SPCA's care, making their adoption possible. SPCA executive director Sandy Macalister said: 'When some of the dogs came out of the cages they could barely walk. They had to learn to walk up stairs. The SPCA have put in a lot of effort into caring for these animals ... as a result we have some fantastic dogs for adoption.' Tony Ho Tse-tong, chief officer of the SPCA Inspectorate, said Lam was believed to have been breeding and trading the dogs, but was prosecuted for cruelty - a more serious crime - because of the horrific conditions the animals were kept in. 'With a cruelty charge you can get a fine of up to HK$200,000 and a maximum of three years in prison. For unlicensed trading it is only HK$2,000 and it is very difficult to prove,' he said, adding that by pleading guilty Lam avoided a big fine but lost all of his dogs. Anyone interested in adopting should contact the SPCA Homing Service on 2232 5529.