CASSOPOLIS – Cass County Animal Control on Friday executed a search warrant in northern Wayne Township and confiscated 16 animals confined in a pen on property where no one is living.

The animals, which have been described as wolf-dogs, were being fed and watered periodically, but their owner, who years ago had a wolf-dog permit, lives in another state.

Charges are expected.

Animal Control has not been able to contact the owner about the seizure and does not know if he’s aware of it.

Testing would need to be done to verify the animals are in fact wolf-dogs.

One canine still at large appears to be a 4-month-old German shepherd mix puppy.

“No one should be alarmed that there are a bunch of wolf-dogs running loose in the woods,” an Animal Control spokeswoman said this morning after WNDU-TV aired a report about wolf-dogs roaming Dowagiac. “The one that’s loose is definitely no threat to anyone.”