A 42-year-old Lake County woman is facing a felony charge after a dog was found dead in her backyard, infested with thousands of fleas, deputies said.

Investigators spent a third day excavating the property of a Northern California animal rescue as part of an expanding investigation into shelter dog deaths, with dozens of remains already uncovered.

A 54-year-old Irvine dog trainer is criminally culpable for the deaths of nearly a dozen canines under his care, and a woman he worked with is responsible for helping him try to cover up the demise of the dogs, an Orange County Superior Court jury decided on Wednesday, June 17.

Police said that more than 20 dogs were found in the back of the U-Haul, some of which were pregnant.

Officers with Jefferson Protection & Animal Welfare Services found one dead puppy and seized 54 dogs from Shawn Bell, who officials say runs Nola Aussies.