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A hearing was held on Wednesday in Jefferson County to determine what to do with the dozens of dogs taken from a home on October 12th.

The dogs were reportedly neglected and undernourished by their owner, Mike Chilinski, who has been charged with animal cruelty.

The count now stands at 184 Malamutes, including 15 pregnant females.

The dogs are now at an undisclosed facility. Not counting food and medical costs, the boarding is estimated to cost $11,000 a month.

At the hearing, Gina Wiest of the Lewis & Clark County Humane Society said the $17,000 they've received in donations is expected to run out in December.

Veterinarian Greg Lovgren spoke about first recovering the Malamutes.

Lovgren said, "You didn't realize how thin these animals were, how underweight they were, until you picked them up and practically through the ceiling because you were expecting a heavier dog."

Chilinksi did not speak at the hearing.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges last month and was also charged with growing marijuana.

Jefferson County District Court has not yet set a date to continue the hearing.

The Lewis & Clark Humane Society has created a web page for information about "Project Malamute."

(October 14, 2011) Mike Chilinski of Jefferson County has been charged with five felonies and one misdemeanor after allegedly operating a puppy mill and a marijuana grow operation in his home.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's office arrested Chilinski on Wednesday after officers discovered more than 140 malamute dogs and 200 marijuana plants at his residence.

The County Attorney is charging Chilinski with three felonies in conjuntion with the marijuana grow operation and two felony animal cruelty charges.

On Thursday, Chilinski pled not guilty to animal cruelty, but is waiting for a public defender to enter his plea on the rest of the charges.

During his court appearance, Chilinski told the judge, "I never sold marijuana to make any profit, I was just trying to make it a slight supplement so I could deal less with the dogs and go by the state rules."

Chilinski explained, "They have been not only my main source of income, but my life and passion for many, many years, and I have veterinarians and other people owning my dogs. I am very confident that animal cruelty is not (a) viable...charge."

He added, "I have shipped dogs for 30 years and have never had an incident. I have dogs in Australia and on every continent."

The judge set Chilinski's bond at $150,000.