They're standing outside a suburban magistrates court to confront the man the City of Wyndham alleges is responsible.

He walks past them without acknowledgment, his eyes locked straight ahead.

Veterinary nurse Kat Butterworth holds up an image of a matted German shepherd nursing her newborn pups at an alleged illegal puppy farm south-west of Melbourne.

The two comforting hands that appear in the the otherwise dark picture, Ms Butterworth explains, are hers.

The nurse was called to the Little River compound - allegedly run by 75-year-old Anthony Sammut - by Debra Tranter, founder of animal activist group Oscar's Law, who had discovered the distressed animal in labour during a raid on May 11, 2014.

The dog was found caged and alone, sitting in filth, with the temperature dropping to 2 degrees that night, Ms Tranter alleges.

About five weeks later Cherry, as she's now known, was surrendered to the council with five other dogs.

Cherry was eventually passed onto Ms Butterworth's foster care network the Melbourne Animal Rescue and now lives at Ms Butterworth's home, where she's waiting to be adopted by a family.

She has undergone more than four surgeries on her ear, among other medical procedures.

"She's brilliant now," Ms Butterworth beams, speaking outside Werribee Magistrates Court, where she is flanked by a dozen other members of Oscar's Law.

"[But] there were a myriad of health issues when we got her," she says.

Cherry also has hip dysplasia, a condition she would have passed onto her countless litters of puppies that would have gone to unsuspecting homes, Ms Butterworth says.

When authorities inspected the compound five weeks later about 40 dogs which the animal rights activists allege were present earlier had vanished, among them Cherry's litter of puppies.

"They're totally unaccounted for," Ms Butterworth says.

Mr Sammut has been charged with 14 offences after authorities attended the Old Melbourne Road property on October 14, 2014.

He has yet to enter pleas to the charges, which include failing to provide sufficient water, food and veterinary care to dogs, as well as running an illegal domestic animal business.

On Tuesday, the case was adjourned to give his lawyer more time to negotiate with the City of Wyndham, which is prosecuting the case.

"They are serious allegations with significant public interest," Mr Sammut's lawyer told the court.

Speaking outside court, Basil Stafford, acting for the City of Wyndham, said it was important that animal welfare be taken seriously.

"I would like an outcome where animal welfare is treated seriously, animal rights are respected, and animals don't suffer," he said.  "We are their guardians."

Ms Tranter said she believes there are at least 200 puppy farms operating in Victoria, where dogs are treated as "breeding machines".

"The industry has kept this huge secret from the public; the suffering that goes on," she says.

Mr Sammut will face court again on March 2.