Rescued dogs ready for adoption in Cherokee County

If you've been considering adding a four-legged, furry friend to the family, here's your chance. Hundreds of dogs seized last month from a kennel will be up for adoption Saturday at the Cherokee County Animal Shelter.

The Happily-Ever-After Celebration will begin with registration at 9 a.m. for those wanting to adopt a new pet, and the fee is $100, the shelter posted on its Facebook page.

“Because a home is where their story begins, we are planning the adoption event of a lifetime for Saturday,” the shelter posted.

The shelter took in 357 dogs, mostly small breeds, in July when investigators found the dogs living in deplorable conditions, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported. But that number began growing almost immediately as dogs begin delivering puppies, shelter officials said.

“It was horrible,” Alexa Huston, spokeswoman for the county’s Marshal’s Office, previously said. “The dogs were being kept in unsanitary conditions and housed in cages. Underneath most of the cages were feces, urine and dog food that had fallen through the grates.”

The dogs were brought to the shelter, where they received medical attention and care. The shelter was quickly overwhelmed with community support and created an online "wish list" to help those wanting to donate. Days later, the owners of the kennel, Guerry and Joy Wise, were each charged with 366 misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals, according to the sheriff's office.