Two weeks after authorities seized 20 of her dogs, a Lewis County woman accused of running a filthy dog-breeding farm said she plans to reduce the number of dogs on her property to about 50 — a two-thirds reduction.

“We’re working on our numbers,” Theresa Hahn said Thursday. “My plan was never to have as many dogs as I have right now.”

Hahn had 157 dogs when Lewis County authorities raided her five-acre property near Toledo earlier this month. Animal control officials seized 20 that appeared to be suffering from neglect and unsanitary conditions. Hahn breeds mostly Pomeranians.

The investigation has been turned over to the county prosecutor’s office for possible charges, said sheriff’s chief deputy Stacy Brown.

All but one of the seized dogs survived. A puppy died at the shelter the day after it was taken from the property, said Amy Hanson, manager of the Lewis County Animal Shelter.

“They are doing amazingly well,” Hanson said of the dogs, citing the improvement of a 12-year-old chocolate Labrador as the most notable example. “She looks like a new dog. Her hair’s grown back, she’s put on weight and you can’t see her spine and ribs anymore.”

The dogs will be available for adoption starting Tuesday. At that time, most will be moved to the Oregon Humane Society in Portland, which has more space and resources than the Lewis County shelter, Hanson said.

A county humane officer and a sheriff’s deputy returned to the property last week to do a follow-up check on the other dogs, Brown said. County code enforcement officials declined to comment on the visit.

Hahn, 26, and Lewis County authorities have given conflicting accounts of just about every detail since the Oct. 7 seizure. Officials described a house crammed with 100 dogs and floors and furniture blanketed with feces, while Hahn disputes both of those claims.

Hanson said Hahn has made no effort to retrieve the 19 remaining dogs from the shelter. Hahn said nobody at the shelter will return her phone calls and she wants to reclaim two of the dogs, which she said are older and are family pets.

“I’m going to show up there tomorrow and start flipping out because I want those dogs back,” Hahn said.

The recent seizure has brought attention to Lewis County’s breeder-friendly laws, which do not limit the number of dogs one person can possess.

Those laws could change soon.

A new state law that takes effect Jan. 1 will limit to 50 the number of dogs one person can have in their possession at any time. It also requires handlers to provide dogs with proper space, light and exercise.

With this month’s seizure in mind, Lewis County commissioners are pushing for even stricter laws. They want the 50-dog limit to apply to a property rather than an individual. Four people live at Hahn’s five-acre parcel, meaning that even when the new state law takes effect, Hahn could actually add to her dog population.

“That’s a huge loophole right there, because they could have 200,” Hanson said.

The county plans to hold a public hearing to discuss the proposed ordinance, but no date has been set.

Hanson said she wants to see more protections for dogs, but she advises that the county be careful not to go too far.

“At the same time we don’t want to punish the good breeders,” she said. “And we do have some good breeders.”

Related article:

Authorities seize 20 dogs from Toledo property  (Oct. 8)