Hoarding - 2 cats, 9 dogs seized
Mojave, CA (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Mar 4, 2008
County: Kern
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Cynthia Lee Bemis
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
Kern County Animal Control officers, backed by sheriff's deputies, raided Cindy Bemis' property on East Trotter Avenue southeast of Mojave Tuesday in response to alleged animal abuse.
They impounded two cats and nine dogs, said Animal Control Chief Denise Haynes.
The raid, which was conducted with a search warrant, was aimed at retrieving numerous animals that an animal control officer noticed were seriously unhealthy during an inspection Feb. 27, Haynes said.
Those animals were not on the property when officers arrived Tuesday, she said.
But other animals were in a bad enough condition that they had to be taken away from Bemis, Haynes said.
"We have mostly emaciation on the ones that were seized today," she said. "There are two really grave skin conditions but the rest are mostly skinny."
Bemis faces 15 criminal charges of failing to care for animals in San Bernardino Superior Court. There is a pretrial hearing in the case today.
She also is facing 20 charges of animal cruelty in Kern County Superior Court and is scheduled to be arraigned on those charges Monday.
Further charges against Bemis, based on Tuesday's raid, could be filed, Haynes said.
Bemis has in the past claimed she is being harassed and her rights violated by animal control officers.
Case UpdatesThe Mojave woman accused of hoarding more than 100 dogs at her rural compound is expected to enter her plea before a judge this morning.
Cindy Bemis faces 17 counts of animal cruelty.
During a court-ordered inspection, Animal Control officers said they found neglected dogs on her property, even though she was ordered not to house any animals.
Bemis also faces numerous animal cruelty charges in San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties. | Source: Turn to 23 - June 28, 2008
Update posted on Jun 28, 2008 - 7:19PM |
The arraignment of a Mojave woman on 14 felony animal cruelty charges was delayed Friday for a week so the prosecutor can ask that her animals be monitored by Kern County Animal Control.
Cynthia Bemis, a self-proclaimed animal rescuer, has been charged with failing to care for dozens of dogs on her property.
She has denied any abuse and asserted she take excellent care of the animals she has rescued.
The defense attorney for Bemis wants the arraignment delayed until August, but the prosecutor would agree only if the dogs can be monitored.
So the arraignment Friday was delayed to June 27 so that prosecutor Andrea Kohler can bring her motion to have animal control check on the dogs periodically.
Defense attorney Alfred Villalobos of Los Angeles objected to the monitoring. | Source: Bakersfield Californian - June 20, 2008
Update posted on Jun 22, 2008 - 11:12PM |
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