After receiving a call from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, members of Paws of War rushed to move more than 200 dogs out of a rural property near Tupelo, Mississippi, before winter weather intensified, the group said Friday. With 80 dogs still left after the initial rescue drive, co-founder Robert Misseri said the team planned to keep the remaining animals warm inside a warehouse and wait out the storm.

Misseri said his team worked through the night Thursday to place as many dogs as possible, contacting shelters and asking them to take animals, as conditions on the property and in the region complicated efforts. He described the location as a “house of horrors,” saying dogs’ skeletal remains were visible in the yard and feces covered the property, with animals living both inside and outside the home.

Paws of War, a New York-based nonprofit that rescues animals and places them with veterans and first responders, raced from across the country to Tupelo after the rescue was initiated on Wednesday. Misseri said the team had faced a “perfect storm” of obstacles, including the weather itself, the rural setting, and limitations on communication in the area due to little cell service.

When shelters would normally take animals, Misseri said many refused to pick up dogs because of travel safety concerns. He also said nearby stores were running low on essential supplies as people stocked up ahead of the storm, adding pressure to the rescue timeline and logistics.

Misseri said that at the warehouse, several heaters would keep the dogs warm. He added that members of the Paws of War team would stay on site during the storm and play classical music at night to soothe the animals.

Thirteen of the dogs were taken to the Northshore Humane Society in Covington, Louisiana, after the nonprofit’s team drove more than 300 miles to reach the Tupelo area for what they called “Operation: Tupelo Tails.” Scott Bernier, the nonprofit’s CEO, said a number of the dogs had scars on their faces that suggested they were likely fighting other dogs for food.

A veterinary technician with the Northshore Humane Society, Scout Cannizzaro, said some of the dogs had upper respiratory infections and skin conditions and that she suspects some may have heartworm. Bernier said the shelter is working to get as many dogs as possible into foster homes because its building is older and does not retain heat well, and he said that any animals left at the shelter when the storm hits would be warm and safe.