HILLSVILLE -- Animal-welfare groups from along the East Coast descended on Hillsville yesterday to help find homes for roughly 1,000 dogs and puppies taken from one of the state's largest "puppy mills."

The Humane Society of the United States, assisted by Carroll County authorities, volunteers and animal-control officers from surrounding counties, worked throughout the day to truck dogs from Horton's Pups to a building more than a mile away.

There, veterinarians examined the dogs and vaccinated them. The animals were then turned over to dog-adoption agencies whose representatives had driven vans to Hillsville from as far as New York and Florida.

Among the groups on hand to pick up dogs was the Richmond SPCA.

"We got 29 of them," said Tabitha Hanes, spokeswoman for the group. "The chances are that they would have ended up in this area anyway. We've confirmed that dogs from Horton's Pups were being sold around here."

Meanwhile, the owner of Horton's, Junior Horton, expressed regrets about agreeing to give up the dogs and blasted the Humane Society as "do-gooders with nothing to do."

Carroll officials hope that, by Saturday, they will complete the task of removing about 1,000 dogs from Horton's and giving them to organizations to put up for adoption.

County officials persuaded Horton to surrender the dogs last week after learning that his operation was in violation of its permit, which allows it to keep 500 dogs. Officials counted in excess of 1,000 when they visited the site -- 650 breeding females, 70 males and more than 300 puppies.

The county was tipped off to the permit violation after the Humane Society reported last week that Virginia is failing to adequately regulate commercial dog breeders. The report, which capped a five-month Humane Society undercover operation, concluded that up to 1,000 puppy mills operate in the state. Puppies bred and raised in such assembly-line operations often suffer from negligence and poor health, according to the Humane Society.

John Snyder, the Humane Society's vice president for companion animals, was in Hillsville yesterday overseeing the transfer of the animals. He said the dogs appeared to be healthy.

"There are a few biters in there," he said. "These are animals that have spent their entire lives in a cage."

Yesterday, Horton defended his operation, saying he has raised and sold dogs for 20 years and has always taken good care of them. He conceded that his operation could be called a puppy mill but added, "I'd rather be a puppy miller than a dognapper."

Horton said Carroll officials pressured him into surrendering the vast majority of his dogs even though his permit allows him to keep 500.

"They made it sound like it was the only option I had," he said. "They just kind of overpowered me with their authority."

Horton said he could have sold all the dogs within several weeks if authorities had given him a chance. He said the dogs he surrendered could have brought $4,000 to $5,000. Even though Horton is giving up 1,000 dogs, he has negotiated with the county to keep more than 100.

"I think I'll be all right once the county gets satisfied. But we had too many dogs, we know that," Horton said.

Hanes, of the Richmond SPCA, said the dogs brought back to Richmond probably will not be available for adoption for weeks since they have to be re-examined, and spayed or neutered.

Contact Rex Bowman at (540) 344-3612 or rbowman@timesdispatch.com.