A Quebec court will determine whether more than 500 dogs seized from a puppy farm will be put up for adoption or returned to their original owners.

Hundreds of allegedly malnourished dogs were confiscated from Paws "R" Us Kennel in Clarendon Township, about 90 minutes northwest of Ottawa, this weekend and placed under the care of an animal welfare group.

Guy Auclair, a spokesman for the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, said it's the largest such raid that's ever occurred in the province.

"We have had this kind of situation before, but (with) a lower number of animals," he told The Canadian Press on Saturday.

Auclair said it's now up to the courts to decide what will happen to the dogs. He added that the investigation is ongoing and charges could be laid against the operators of the breeding facility.

Officials allege more than 500 dogs were living at Paws "R" Us without adequate food and water. Many of the kennel dogs were reportedly suffering from skin and respiratory problems.

Laurie Scott, a spokesperson for Humane Society International Canada, said she hopes the dogs will be able to find new homes.

"They just so desperately need a second chance so we'll be turning to the public for that," she told The Canadian Press.

HSI Canada helped the Quebec government confiscate truckloads of dogs from the rural breeding operation on Friday and Saturday in what could represent the largest animal cruelty case in the province's history.

Rebecca Aldworth, executive director of HSI Canada, said the confiscated puppies were living in some of the worst conditions she's ever seen.

"This was the largest facility of this kind we've ever come across," Aldworth told CTV News Channel on Sunday.

"The puppy mill capital"

For Aldworth, the raid emphasizes the need for stronger regulations on commercial animal breeders in Quebec.

"We need stronger laws in this province and we need more consumer awareness," said Rebecca Aldworth, executive director of Humane Society International Canada.

Quebec has long been referred to as the puppy mill capital of North America with an estimated 800 unregulated breeding operations in Montreal alone.

The raid comes as the Quebec government prepares to introduce new animal welfare regulations designed to crack down on puppy and kitten mills.

Aldworth said the updated animal protection laws will help deter unethical breeding operations but noted that pet lovers need to do their part too.

"Consumers need to be aware that when they purchase a dog over the Internet or in a newspaper ad…they could unintentionally be supporting a puppy mill or an unethical breeding facility," she said.

She advises prospective pet owners to purchase animals from shelters and practice vigilance when buying from a small facility.

Breeder speaks out

The dogs seized from Paws "R" Us Kennel were transported to an emergency shelter where animal welfare workers were on hand to care for them.

Paws "R" Us is owned by members of the Labombard family, who have been running the facility for more than 16 years.

Co-owner Nicole Lobombard maintains that the dogs were sufficiently cared for.

"There's a veterinarian that visits the facility every two weeks and vaccinates my puppies," she told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview on Saturday.

Labombard says the facility has automated feeding equipment on every animal pen and that the visiting veterinarian would have told her if the puppies were malnourished.

Friday's raid was the result of multiple inspections conducted by officials, said Aldworth.

"What they observed in this facility clearly warranted the removal of the animals," she said.

With files from The Canadian Press