After a horrific discovery that one animal control officer said was reminiscent of the "Silence of the Lambs" where nearly 40 starved and dead pit bulls were discovered in a home, the Riverside County Department of Animal Services Wednesday said it was seeking rescue homes for 26 of the surviving pups.
Now jubilant and plump, the pit bulls pictured in a news release were drastically healthier than the skeletal, starved dogs found in an Inland Empire home on July 19.
Eight animal control officers raided the home on Avocado Lane between La Sierra Avenue and Greentree Drive in the Lake Mathews area after a neighbor reported a foul stench emanating from the residence.
"We're talking a scene from 'Silence of the Lambs,'" said Riverside County Animal Services' John Welsh. "It was the smell of death."
Inside, officers found 39 dogs with protruding rib cages -- 11 of which were dead. Some were so weak they could not walk out of the home.
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On Tuesday, Riverside County Department of Animal Services began asking for help in finding rescue homes for 26 of the pit bulls who lived.
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Some of the dogs are available for adoption, but many are not "social," the news release said.
Wags and Walks, an LA-based rescue, was taking in some of the dogs.
An arrest warrant was issued for the suspected owners of the dogs, Carl Dixon.
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Police still want to question Dixon's wife, Kim Delagos. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call (951) 358-7387.
