Earl Simmons, aka DMX. has been put under surveillance after police received  a complaint from neighbors that the actor/musician is showing signs of animal cruelty towards the 12 pit-bulls he keeps as pets in his home in Arizona.

Police looking into the matter have inspected the rapper’s house and in addition to the 12 poorly fed dogs they have also found illegal substances, speculated to be cocaine or methamphetamine. Also were found some assault weapons.

“They weren't getting proper food, they weren't getting proper water, and they were tied outside in 115-degree heat," Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said. "We are developing the investigation.”

Although Earl was not at home when the event took place, police talked to his attorney Stacey Richman.

Richman says that Mr. Simmons was neither aware of the drugs nor the inhumane conditions the dogs were being kept in.

Making matters worse, officers exhumed 3 canine corpses from the backyard. One of them had 3th degree burns on large parts of its body.

Police didn’t press charges against the star although the dogs were confiscated, and further analysis is to be made to establish the nature of the found narcotics. In addition, several cars were found in the garage, none of them matching the number plates.

Richman added that a caretaker had been hired to look after the dogs, and that he could not understand how this could have happened.

When asked about the caretaker Saturday, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said he was "not going to get into him right now." And that he will "push to get this guy extradited."  "No one is going to get any passes regardless of occupation," Arpaio said.