The owner of an unlicensed dog rescue in Tiverton has apologized for the circumstances that led to Wednesday's seizure of 34 dogs and two cats from her Roseland Avenue home.

The administrator of the One Dog At A Time Rescue Facebook page, who was not identified, posted Thursday afternoon to say that while she made mistakes in the animals' care, she only had their interests at heart. The situation came to a head recently when the group was not able to find enough fosters for dogs brought here from a kill shelter in Texas, overwhelming the small rescue.

"We were aware that our circumstances were quickly becoming overwhelming, and were trying to make things right," the administrator wrote.

"I am not going to make excuses as to why things escalated as they did. The fact is, I took in more dogs than we had room for, (even with the help of fosters) with the expectation that we would find the right forever homes/families for them quickly."

Acting on a tip, Tiverton police, investigators from the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and officials from the state Department of Environmental Management inspected the 16 Roseland Ave. property Wednesday, spending about five hours there. They removed 34 dogs and two cats, some of which showed possible neglect, and the Tiverton code enforcement officer ruled the home uninhabitable and ordered everyone out until it is cleaned and repaired.

The animals are undergoing veterinary care and RISPCA officials hope to find fosters for them in the near future. No charges have been filed, though an RISPCA investigator said administrative violations for running an unlicensed dog rescue are possible.

In Thursday's statement, the rescue's administrator acknowledged forgetting to renew her license with the state. The rescue operates as a 501c3 rescue, she said, and all donations and adoption fees are put back into the animals' care.

"We do not 'sell' these dogs. There is no profit in Rescue."

The administrator added that the failure of One Dog At A Time is heart-breaking on a personal level.

"This is not the outcome I wanted for these dogs," she wrote. "This was my calling. I tried to make a difference, but went about it the wrong way, and I'm deeply sorry ... especially for the dogs. I feel that I failed them and that can never be undone."

The author said that despite her sorrow, she is happy the dogs are under the care of the RISPCA, "a wonderful organization."

She said her next step is to repair the home and work to be reunited with her personal pets, which were also seized and are also under the care of the RISPCA.

"We don’t know what will happen with ODAAT going forward, but we are grateful that these babies are in good hands."