CHAPEL HILL -- The Orange County Animal Shelter took in 25 dogs seized from the Hillsville Puppy Mill in Carroll County, Va., last week.

The Humane Society of the United States asked Orange County, along with other shelters on the East Coast, to help in the rescuing of nearly 1,000 puppies and adult dogs from the mill.

Orange County has Jack Russell terriers, shih-tzus, malteses, poodles and "puggles," pug and beagle mixes taken from the mill.

Shelter staff members are assessing the dogs' condition, and some may not be adoptable. They are not on public display or ready for adoption, and the county has asked the public not to call the shelter about the Hillsville dogs and puppies until after noon on Tuesday.

"Our hope is to have some of the animals available for adoption late next week," shelter manager Jess Allison said Friday between examining a 3-year-old poodle and a Maltese puppy.

Puppy mill dogs have had limited life experiences and may be overwhelmed by activities that most dogs enjoy. Allison said some of the animals seized last week were kept in raised, rabbit-like hutches with screened bottoms so that their waste drops between the wires.

"It really limits their socialization with humans," she said. "Sometimes they can be really difficult to housebreak. We have seen some that are going to need extensive behavior modification."

The shelter has many other dogs and cats available, each of which has received a health exam and will be sterilized, vaccinated and microchipped before adoption.

The shelter may also place some of the mill puppies and dogs. including a mother with six puppies, with experienced volunteers and local rescue groups, Allison said.

"The shelter is not a good environment to raise a litter of puppies," she said.