The California mother charged along with her husband for the torture of their 13 children was far kinder to the family’s dogs than her own kids, as indicated by new reports.

According to the New York Post, 49-year-old Louise Turpin allegedly kept her two Maltese-mix dogs in “good condition” as her kids — ranging in age from 2 to 29 — went malnourished in reprehensible living conditions at what has been described as the family’s “house of horrors” in Perris.

A city spokesperson said that animal control took possession of the dogs after Louise and David Turpin were arrested and their 13 children taken to area hospitals. The dogs will be available for adoption, according to officials.

While her pets looked well-fed in pictures taken by investigators during the search, police say Louise Turpin’s children were fed just one meal per day.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, police believe the parents also rationed hygiene, allowing the kids only two showers per year.

According to one woman who was a neighbor when the Turpins’ home went into foreclosure in 2010, the family had previously mistreated other animals in their care.

The Daily Mail spoke to Shelli Vinyard, who said the family left “a huge garbage dumpster at their house,” in which she claimed a kitten was left crying when they abandoned the home.

“There were other whimpering sounds coming from their property, but we could never find where they came from,” Vinyard said. “The dumpster smelled of death; who knows what was buried in it.”

[Featured image: Louise Turpin/Riverside County Sheriff’s Department]