People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are urging Arizona authorities to put DMX behind bars for animal cruelty charges he picked up last week.

As reported earlier, DMX's house was raided in August 2007 after authorities were tipped that dogs were being abused on his property.

12 malnourished and scarred pit bulls would be found on DMX's property including the remains of three dogs.

DMX, who wasn't at the house during the raid, was not formally charged until last week.  The Yonkers bred rapper was arrested and charged with seven misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty.

In a statement posted on its website yesterday (May 12), PETA urges visitors to contact and demand Maricopa County Attorney Andrew P. Thomas to put DMX behind bars and ban the rapper from owning animals.

“[DMX] appears to be either unable or unwilling to provide even the most basic care for animals,” the statement read.  “People who demonstrate such blatant disregard for life and desensitization to suffering can pose a serious risk to all animals—including humans—with whom they come into contact.”

PETA also wants DMX to undergo a thorough psychological evaluation followed by mandatory counseling.