Animal welfare officers said on Thursday they removed 244 dogs, 16 birds, five cats, two kittens one rabbit and a chinchilla from a middle-aged couple's modest home in Lancashire, north-west England.

Fifteen staff from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals raided the three-bedroomed house after a tip-off and spent two days taking the pets from the building in the village of Carnforth.

"It's the largest seizure of animals ever for the RSPCA," the animal welfare organization said.

The dogs found included shih-tzus, dachshunds, lhasa apsos, bearded collies and a corgi. Among the birds were macaws, Amazon parrots and African gray parrots

The animals, removed on veterinary advice, have been sent to RSPCA centers around the UK while an investigation into the find takes place.

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