Over 100 caged dogs have been rescued from a home in Dallas and sent to dozens of animal shelters for re-homing.

The incident took place in the city of Mesquite, which is a suburb of the city of Dallas in the US state of Texas, on 23rd September.

The Animal Service Division in Mesquite said officials found 111 dogs, all small breeds, in the home, adding that the property owner agreed to surrender them all.

The 111 dogs were then taken to local animal shelters for care and re-homing.

Local reports said around a dozen shelters have agreed to take the animals to prevent one animal centre being overwhelmed.

Mesquite Neighborhood Services spokesperson Maria Martinez said: “We were made aware of the situation in which a residence may have had a large number of dogs. Our Animal Services Officers responded and found 111 small breed dogs.

“The property owner surrendered the animals to the City, and we transported them to our shelter for impoundment and intake vaccines.

“This was a successful rescue event, and we could not have done it without our hard-working City staff who acted quickly and with compassion, and our animal rescue partners.”

Martinez said city permits allow for no more than three dogs per residential property, adding that members of the public are welcome to contact the rescue centres about adopting one or more of the 111 new dogs.

It is currently unclear why so many dogs were being bred on the property. The investigation is ongoing.