CHICAGO — Twenty dogs who were abandoned at a warehouse at O’Hare Airport are in limbo as a rescue group fights to keep them in the United States.

On Monday, the the Centers for Disease Control ordered that the French bulldogs, who were neglected and in bad health when they were found, get on a plane and take a 14 hour flight back to Jordan. Congressman Mike Quigley is working with the CDC to let the dogs stay.

On Aug. 31, Chicago police were called because 20 dogs were left at O’Hare International Airport in a warehouse after getting off the Royal Jordanian Air flight. The CDC says the paperwork on the dogs was fraudulent, that it was not clear if the dogs had proper vaccinations, particularly rabies. A person who works at the airport called the Chicago Police Department. The dogs sat in cages with no food or water or medical attention for four days.

Some of the animals were bleeding from their paws and had burns from their urine, according to Kelly Dworniczek, with the Chicago French Bulldog Rescue.

A few years ago, Dworniczek and her husband rescued two French bulldogs — Toby and Teddy. They were bruised and battered emotionally and physically but are now doing well.

The Chicago French Bulldog Rescue has been working tirelessly to keep the dogs from going back to Jordan.

“They almost didn’t survive coming here once,” Dworniczek said. “What’s to say it’s going to be different on the way back?”

The rescue has been leaning on all of the national animal organizations but they’re afraid it may be too late.

Quigley’s staff will be working with the CDC over the weekend trying to find a humanitarian way to keep the dogs here.

The rescue posted on Facebook that the dogs are not up for adoption.

For updates regarding the bulldogs, visit the rescue’s Facebook page.

The rescue group has a Change.org petition which as of Friday evening, had over 30,000 signatures.