MOJAVE, Calif. -- Cynthia Bemis, a convicted animal abuser, has been in jail for more than three months now, but her property in Mojave is still home to stray dogs hunting for food, shelter, and a place to birth puppies. ABC 23's Elaina Rusk drove out to the compound with a rescue group as they pulled more animals from the home.

Bemis's property in the Mojave Desert has seen new life in the form of week-old puppies, but it's also seen plenty of death over the years.

What was formerly the home of both Bemis and her roommate Cynthia Trapani has transformed into a desolate landscape, with empty broken dog houses and open gated kennels. But there are new holes in shady areas, where pregnant dogs gave birth to litters of puppies, and new piles of animal waste.

When rescuers started pulling more than 280 animals from this compound in May, the rescuers say they also found dead puppies in the freezer, and animal bones in a fire pit out back. "I never was one to feel like I had the right to judge her, I wasn't on that jury," said rescuer Kim Sill with Last Chance for Animals, (visit their web site, www.lcanimal.org. "And I feel terrible about the animals that died. And I feel terrible that a lot of animals needed care and they weren't getting it. But when I came to this property, she gave me animals, before she ever went to jail. She released those animals to me, and trusted me with those animals. So I respect her for that."

Trapani is on probation and is not allowed to return to the property. Bemis is in jail until January. A man named Vince Rhoads, who has special needs and depended on the women, now lives in the home alone. And yet, people still dump dogs here, perhaps thinking Bemis's so-called rescue operation is still going. "They throw them over the fence," Rhoads said. "It's sad. If Cindy was here she'd take care of them."

Every time it happens, Rhoads calls the rescuers, and Sill comes out and takes the sick and abandoned animals off the property. "I mean, puppies, older dogs, dogs that need medical attention, dogs that had lived in their homes probably for their entire lives and then end up here in the middle of the desert with poor Vince, who's here alone. It's just heart breaking.

The morning of the rescue, Sill and her volunteers found a frightened Chow, who they suspected was recently someone's pet, hiding on the property. The rescuers couldn't catch her, so they had to set her free. There was also a wild German Shepherd that had given birth recently, and spent the morning roaming around the compound, looking for her lost puppies.

Rhoads has a message for the people dropping their animals off, or allowing their pets to breed with other wild cats and dogs. "Stop doing it," Rhoads said. "We're trying to get rid of the dogs."

Sill says Animal Control has threatened Rhoads that they are going to condemn the property. The rescuers are looking for someone who can donate a trailer home. They have the property for him, but need a home for him to live in.

We filed a request to interview Bemis in jail, but she declined to comment.

For those who want to donate supplies or food please contact Kim Sill at, kimsill123@gmail.com.