BANGOR – State animal welfare officials filed a motion Wednesday seeking custody of 20 puppies that had been offered for sale through what is being described as an illegal pet shop that has been operating out of the Bangor area for at least 18 months.

The motion seeking permanent custody of the puppies seized last week was still being reviewed late Wednesday afternoon by a judge in 3rd District Court in Bangor. Details were not available.

If the motion is approved by a judge, a hearing would have to be held within 10 days, James Diehl, Penobscot County assistant district attorney, said. Diehl filed the motion on behalf of the State Animal Welfare Program, a division of the Maine Department of Agriculture.

State officials seized the puppies – some of them sick and some younger than the 8-week minimum age for sale – as part of four simultaneous search warrants at four residences on June 2.

Two of the homes were in Bangor; another was in Glenburn, and a fourth was in Orono. Authorities also seized two adult dogs, although it wasn’t clear whether they were included in the motion for permanent custody.

At least three people are involved, although more may be connected to the operation in which small mixed-breed puppies were sold to people responding to advertisements in publications.

At the very least, officials are considering filing civil charges against those involved. Diehl said it was still too early to tell whether criminal charges would be filed.

The penalty for operating a pet shop without a license carries a fine of $50 to $200 per day of violation, Diehl said.