ohmidog!

One hundreds dogs — seized by authorities in Montana from a man hoarding them in a broken down bus and a trailer — have now multiplied to about 150, and animal welfare officials in Butte plan a fundraiser to help pay for their care.

The dogs — up until this weekend — couldn’t be adopted out to new homes, nor could they be spayed or neutered, because of the pending court case against Phillip Brode, 60, who was arrested Oct. 5 after the bus he was driving broke down at the Rocker truck stop.

Brode, who originally pleaded not guilty, entered a guilty plea at a hearing yesterday, allowing the shelter to begin placing the dogs in permanent homes. The dogs will officially go up for adoption Saturday.

Brode told authorities he was transporting the dogs to Alaska to work as sled dogs.

The 100 dogs, and offspring born since they were seized, have left Phyllis Ruana, Butte-Silver Bow’s Director of Animal Services, hard-pressed to find the space and money to care for them.

Many of the puppies will be at the Butte Plaza Mall, Kmart and Quality Supply, all on Harrison Avenue, where shoppers will be allowed to stop and pet the dogs and will be encouraged to donate to the rescue effort.

Most of the puppies were born at the temporary camp where the dogs were lodged, raising the number of dogs in need to more than one 150, she said. More than 40 have found foster homes.

Because of the lack of shelter space, the dogs — most of which are huskies or husky mixes — have been kept at a county-owned mineyard, nicknamed “Camp Husky.”

(Photo courtesy of pet-abuse.com)