GAMALIEL, Ark. – Law officers say it was impossible for one family to care for about 500 dogs that were found on their property on Friday, including some that were in poor physical condition.

Volunteers spent the weekend trying to help the dogs, many of which were rescued from hurricane-ravaged areas over the last two months.

William and Tammy Hanson are free on $1,000 bond each after being arrested for animal cruelty. A judge barred them from their Every Dog Needs A Home Animal Rescue and Sanctuary in northeastern Baxter County, just south of the Missouri border. The local Humane Society stepped in to help and authorities are wondering what to do next.

The sanctuary was a chaotic scene on Sunday. Volunteers were overwhelmed with trying to keep hundreds of dogs, caged up for days, healthy and safe.

It’s a frustrating task, even for the most dedicated dog lover. Volunteers lifted each cage and slid cardboard underneath so every dog has a dry, more comfortable place to sleep.

“We've got nowhere to let them use the bathroom, no options right now,” said Desiree Bender, a member of Where Angels Run, an animal rescue group. “We’ve just got to keep them as clean as we can.”

Humane Society volunteers use tarps and blankets to shield the dogs from a cool autumn evening.

“This is to break the wind tonight,” said Bender. “They get so cold so quick.”

Some dogs are stubborn. Some dogs are restless. Some are just scared. Bender says that’s to be expected when dogs are cooped up for a week or more.

“They're going what we call kennel crazy. You put a pit bull in a kennel long enough with no stimulation or anything, and it’s going to go nuts, losing it,” said Bender.

There are 451 dogs here and officials estimate between 75 and 100 are still running loose.

“Without the volunteers, I don't know what we would've done,” said Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery.

Some of the groups that shipped dogs to Every Dog Needs a Home want them back.

“We have to start with the ones that we brought here. Our concern is for the welfare of all the dogs here,” said Diana Goodrich of PASADOS Animal Rescue, who was at the sanctuary on Sunday.

Even that won’t solve the entire problem.

“If about roughly half the animals go back with the people that brought them here, we'll still have a very large number, 200-250 dogs left,” said Montgomery.

Before any of these dogs go anywhere, the legal process will have to shake out over who’s to blame for the dogs’ conditions and the best way to get the dogs into a safe home. The sheriff said he would meet with the prosecutor on Monday to discuss how to proceed. He says if all goes well, they may be able to start moving the dogs off the site and into shelters around the country by Tuesday.

The sheriff’s department found the condition of the dogs after getting tips and then flying over the property in a helicopter. That led to the raid on the property and the arrests of the Hansons.