RAMONA, Calif. -- Two years ago authorities discovered more than 250 dogs and cats crowded into a Mojave Desert home and yard. It was a horrific case of animal hoarding and, 10News' Bob Lawrence reported Monday, some of the animals are still not fully recovered. Rescuers fear it may happen again, Lawrence said.

Footage shot by the group Last Chance For Animals showed the bad conditions the animals were forced to live in.

Orchid and Chelsey are two of the five dogs rescuer Debbie Degarmo is nurturing back to health from that Mojave house. She said that all of them were in bad shape but one dog, George, was the worst of the lot.

"He's looking better. His skin is healing and he had a lot of sores on him," Degarmo said.

The five dogs and four cats Degarmo took home from the Mojave house have run up quite a bill from the vet.

"The vet care and food? It's probably upwards of $4,000 right now," Degarmo said. "We'll continue to fundraise and, hopefully, we’ll recoup some of that."

Two people linked to the Mojave house were convicted of animal abuse through neglect. One is due to be released soon and the fear is, it could happen again.

"Without a doubt, she's going to do this again," Degarmo said. "Hoarding animals is an illness."

While it's a personal struggle for Degarmo to find homes for abused pets and pay for their care she said the payoff is worth it.

"A lot of tears, yeah. A lot of heartaches, too, but a sense of pride and satisfaction comes with knowing you may have lost a dozen but you helped one," she said.

Some of the dogs from the Mojave Desert rescue will be up for adoption at an event called “Big Dogs Rock" at Fiesta Island on Saturday. For more information about that event click here.