Authorities are searching for the person responsible after dozens of dogs were found abandoned across three towns in Sussex County, with some animals still missing.

Officials say the dogs, primarily Chihuahua mixes, were discovered Monday evening in Wantage, Stillwater and Lafayette. According to the Wantage Township Animal Shelter, the animals were “physically thrown from cages and abandoned” at multiple locations.

“I mean, you get your typical calls for dogs in cars or maybe dogs not having the proper shelter, but to have this many dogs, I think there were about 25 dogs so far that have been found in three different locations in the county within an hour,” said Sussex County Sheriff Michael Strada.

“It was all in the same time frame, same breed of dog, small dogs, Chihuahuas and Jack Russells, so yeah, it wasn’t hard to figure out that they came from probably the same person,” Strada said.

Some of the dogs have been safely recovered and are being treated by veterinarians for injuries, but others remain on the loose. Shelter workers have placed traps in the area, while volunteers and law enforcement continue searching.

The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office has also deployed drones equipped with infrared technology to help locate animals in wooded areas.

“A lot of the volunteers are out there and the local shelters, but if we get a report of a dog that's deep in the woods, like this morning, we went out and deployed our drones and helped them locate one dog,” Strada said.

New Jersey State Police and local authorities are investigating. A $500 Crime Stoppers reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Wantage Township Animal Shelter at 973-875-9390 or by email at animalcontrol@wantagetwp-nj.org.

Officials ask not to chase any loose dogs, as many are frightened and may be injured.