A man was found dead in his Compton, California, backyard Friday by a significant other, dead from wounds incurred during an attack from his pit bulls.

The victim was found by a significant other, who then called for help. First responders found five adult pit bulls and eight puppies between four and six months old in the backyard of the victim’s residence, Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control said in a release Friday.

The dead man, unidentified by authorities, is believed to have been involved in breeding the dogs. Neighbors told KTLA-TV that the man was 35 and lived alone.

“Preliminary information suggests that the deceased individual was involved in breeding and selling pit bulls,” DACC said in the release.

While DACC and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are still investigating the situation, the current hypothesis is that the victim was feeding the dogs Thursday evening when the attack started.

“It was discovered that the victim was in the backyard feeding the dogs when he was attacked and ultimately died from his injuries,” LASD Lt. Michael Gomez told KCAL-TV.

The dogs were turned over to authorities by the victim’s father and are being impounded at the Downey Animal Care Center, DACC said.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.