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WELLINGTON, New Zealand Police on Friday grabbed guns employed by two New Zealand men to slaughter over 30 pets owned by a friend in what animal survival regulators said may be the country's worst animal cruelty situation. Personnel from the nation's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, surprised at the slaughter near the principal town of Auckland, said it prepared to file charges over the murders when it completes forensic study of the dead dogs. Police are investigating the occurrence, taking a look at guns' enrollment and possible charges of careless release of a weapon, spokesman Kevin Loughlin said. Press reviews said Russell Mendoza had faced a friend, Rowan Hargreaves, worrying this 1 of Hargreaves' 39 puppies had killed his fox terrier. Mendoza and still another male, armed with a.22 gun and a shotgun, later came ultimately back to Hargreaves' home and shot 33 dogs, including 23 pups and very small dogs. "It was a haunting picture of death and destruction, and I find it difficult to understand what happened there," SPCA examiner Sascha Keltie said. She said exit wounds and topic entry for some of the dogs suggested they'd perhaps not died immediately, and blood trails were in line with a hurt dog going. Still another inspector, Vicki Border, said the photographers appeared to be on a "frenzied mission." SPCA personnel, who are government appointees, are motivated to record pet cruelty costs under New Zealand legislation. The men can address 3 years in jail. SPCA government manager Bob Kerridge said the situation was one of the worst his team had ever seen. Get HuffPost Planet On Facebook and Facebook Know some thing we don't? Email us at world@huffingtonpost.com