Investigators working on a tip discovered 34 dogs and two cats Wednesday in a Tiverton home they believe was being used as an unlicensed and illegal animal rescue operation. 

Tiverton animal control and police officers, investigators from the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal (RISPCA), and staff from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) were called to a small ranch house at 16 Roseland Terrace just before 10 a.m. after receiving an anonymous tip. The home,  which according to Tiverton tax records is owned by John and Edward Cordeiro,  serves as the headquarter for One Dog At A Time Rescue.

Investigators spent five hours removing dogs and cats from the home and said that while many of the dogs were caged, others were roaming freely on the property. 

Upon entering the home for the first time, SPCA special agent Earl Newman said "we were obviously immediately concerned about the condition of the animals. The conditions were not acceptable for either the animals in the residence, or the humans."

Though none of the animals appeared injured, Newman said some appeared to have been neglected. The home was deemed uninhabitable by the Tiverton Code Enforcement Officer.

One of the home's residents told investigators that she was fostering the dogs for an animal rescue agency in Texas, but investigators said she did not have a DEM license to operate an animal rescue facility. She and two others living in the home were told to relocate off the property until it could be cleaned and repaired.

While it is too early to tell if any charges will be filed, Agent Newman said there could be regulatory violations filed for illegal importation of animals. In addition, there could be potential criminal charges based on living conditions and the condition of the animals.

The animals are all being placed in shelters in the short term, and Newman said the SPCA's first priority is to have them evaluated by a veterinarian to determine if there are any underlying medical issues or anything else that requires medical attention. After that, he said, the SPCA will likely be looking for fosters to take in the animals.

"We will be needing homes for these" animals, he said. "Anybody that can assist, we'd certainly appreciate that."

For more information on fostering, contact RISPCA operations director Megan Yaffe at 383-9120, or e-mail her at myaffe@rispca.com.

— With reports by Ted Hayes and Richard W. Dionne Jr.