HERMISTON — Area animal rescue operations are hustling to save several Yorkshire terriers following a July 30 raid north of Hermiston.

Robin Barker, vice president of Fuzz Balls Animal Rescue, said several mistreated Yorkshire terriers were  found off U.S. Highway 395 near Hermiston in a trailer with no electricity or running water. With temperatures rising past the 100-degree mark, it created an unsafe environment for the puppies.

While Barker couldn’t say how many dogs were in the trailer, six of the dogs were voluntarily given to the shelter due to their condition. Five were taken to the animal shelter, and one puppy was in critical care. One of the terriers, despite being nearly 3 months old, weighed only 1 pound.

Both the malnourished dog and its siblings were infected with canine parvovirus, a contagious disease that can be prevented with easily accessible vaccines. If left untreated, canine parvovirus, commonly known as “parvo,” can result in death in as little as 48 hours.

The other five dogs rescued are being treated for parvo at Mikey’s Chance Canine Rescue, a West Richland, Washington, shelter. Executive Director Andrea Moreno said the terriers arrived in rough shape but were being cared for .

“They are doing OK right now, but are all in gross condition,” Moreno said. “They came in filthy, with matted hair and feces and urine all over them, and all dehydrated.”

Mikey’s Chance is one of the area’s premier parvo  treatment facilities , but the condition the dogs came in was severe even by the clinic’s standards, Moreno said. She is hopeful the dogs — ranging from 16 days to 3 years old — will recover.

While the Mikey’s Chance staff  worked with the infected dogs in West Richland, an investigation was underway in Hermiston regarding the care the animals received.