The called themselves  pit bull advocates, and argued against a pit bull breeding ban, but they were also the perpetrators of one of the worst cases of animal abuse authorities had ever seen.

Jailed

Early in 2016 Carl Dixon was arrested and held in Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles, authorities couldn't have known the damage that this simple arrest was about to cause.

Dixon was the owner of nearly 50 pit bull dogs on a property he shared with his wife, Kim Gallegos. Unknown to anyone but the pair, the dogs were already living in substandard conditions. When Dixon was arrested it got even worse.

Police Called

On July of that year investigators were called to the home after neighbors complained about a "stench" from the house. What they found left even the most senior officials shaking their heads.

Eleven dead dogs, dozens more undernourished and dehydrated. Animal Services was called and. in some cases, raced against time to try to save the abused animals.

Vet Dr. Sara Strongin described one dog.

"We approached and he wouldn't lift his head, didn't respond to anything we were doing for him," she recounted to media.

"We got him on the exam table and started to treat him...he crashed so fast."

In the end two more dogs had to be put down because they were beyond saving, shelters were filled to their limit with the sudden influx of so many dogs in need.

Gallegos was no where to be found.

"This is one of the worst cases of abuse we've seen in a long time," said Animal Services commander Chris Mayer. "They died of starvation, or from the extreme heat. These animals were left in such shameful conditions."

Horror House

Dogs were found dead both inside and outside the home. Inside there were signs that Gallegos tried to make improvised dog runs for the animals, even using kiddie pools for the dogs to use as bathrooms.

Kennels lined the homes, everywhere there were starving dogs.

Manhunt

At the house police found evidence that Gallegos, and Dixon' sister Christian, knew about the plight of the poor dogs, but made no effort to care for them. A warrant was issued for the arrest of both women, but authorities had no idea where to look.

After nearly a year Gallegos was arrested in Las Vegas, Christian Dixon remains on the run.

Gallegos is facing 38 felony charges of Animal abuse, which should lead to some jail time and a life time ban on owning pets. It's unknown if Carl Dixon will face any charges since he was unable to care for the dogs at the time.

Pit Bull Advocates

Before his imprisonment Carl Dixon was known as a fighter for pit bull's rights. He attended town halls when the county was considering banning the breeding of the dogs. He even brandished his ribbons and medals he said his show dogs had won.

Infuriatingly he even said that certain considerations should be made for pit bull owners who do things "the right way".

With the way things have unfolded his comments are hypocrisy in the worst way, and underscore how much we need stronger laws to protect animals from humans who would do them harm.