First David Letterman, now Ellen DeGeneres. For Paris Hilton, talk-show appearances have a way of becoming much more trouble than they're worth.
What started out as a conversation between animal lovers on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Monday ended up with Hilton's home being visited Thursday by the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services.
During her chat-show stop, which was meant to promote her box-office bomb The Hottie and the Nottie, Hilton got around to one of her favorite, and until now least controversial, talking points, namely that of her veritable menagerie of pets.
"Oh my goodness," the heiress said when asked by DeGeneres about her critters. "I have 17 dogs."
When questioned on why she had so many pooches, Hilton—clearly no Bob Barker devotee—said it was simply a matter of hormones.
"They keep having babies, and I feel bad to give them away 'cause I feel like if I had a baby and someone gave it away, it'd be mean," she explained. "So, I feel bad for my dogs."
DeGeneres chided Hilton her for not getting her dogs spayed and neutered. Even after Hilton said they had all just been fixed, DeGeneres didn't stop the line of inquiry.
"No, you're lying again," she said.
With that, Hilton cracked: "Fine. Two of them weren't."
Cue Animal Services.
Department officials turned up at Hilton's house after a complaint was filed in response to Hilton's confession that she owned 17 dogs. Los Angeles law dictates that nonbreeders (non-pet breeders, that is) are allowed to own no more than three dogs per address.
But neither the almost 27-year-old star nor any pets were found at the residence, and Hilton's rep has since claimed the canines in question have always been divided among several different animal caregivers, per city law.
Department officials left a "notice to comply" form with staff members at Hilton's home, alerting her to the laws but requiring no further action on her part. A spokesperson for the department told E! News that follow-up visits would be conducted as warranted on the case.
This isn't the first time the PETA police have come a-calling for Hilton.
The celebutante took heat for her pet kinkajou, Baby Luv. The raccoonlike creature actually bit Hilton in the arm in 2006, requiring a visit to the emergency room. Before getting chomped on, Hilton had already been warned by the California Department of Fish and Game that it was illegal to harbor the exotic animal at her L.A. digs.
Baby Luv's current whereabouts are unknown.