Hilton defends pet dog collection

Paris Hilton has hit back at criticism that she keeps 17 dogs at her LA mansion.

The socialite is being investigated by LA's Department of Animal Services after telling chatshow host Ellen DeGeneres about her numerous pets.

It is illegal to have more than three dogs at any one residential address in LA unless it is a kennel or breeding facility.

However, Hilton claimed that her pets keep breeding and she wants to keep any new arrivals rather than separate them from their parents.

She said: "They keep having babies and I feel bad to give them away because I feel like, if I had a baby and someone gave it away it would be mean."

She insisted that she had managed to dispose of some of her pets, telling E News!: "I only have 10 dogs now. Some of my dogs had puppies, so I gave some of them away to people I really know and trust. I gave some to my stylist and to a few of my best friends, so now I'm down to 10."

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