The Tragic Death Of Anthony Allen From Pit Bulls And Parolees

Anthony Allen, a dog owner featured in an episode of Animal Planet's Pit Bulls and Parolees, died on June 28, 2015. He was just 29 years old.

Anthony was featured on a heartwarming episode of Pit Bulls and Parolees, a show focusing on the Villalobos Rescue Center in Louisiana, according to People. Tia Torres and her staff of parolees focus on finding homes for pit bulls, and Animal Planet has been documenting their work since 2009. The show also breaks down common misconceptions of these dogs, as well as people released from prison.

Thanks to the show's success, Pit Bulls and Parolees aired its 200th episode on Jan. 2, 2021. The episode started off the new season and gave fans a two-hour retrospect on everything the center has accomplished, and how many lives Villalobos has touched over the years. This season features two hours of pit bulls, rescue stories and more every Saturday at 9 p.m. on Animal Planet.

But first, let's go back to Anthony's episode, and keep reading for more details on his life.

Anthony Allen was born on Feb. 3, 1986 in Springfield, Missouri, according to his obituary. 

According to his obituary, Anthony enjoyed tattooing, construction and working with food — he was "good with his hands" — but his true passions were art and music. In addition to his various hobbies, he also took up MMA fighting. He had an infectious smile and liked spending time with friends and family. The young man had a big heart, and lived to protect his family.

Anthony appeared on the season six premiere of Pit Bulls and Parolees, where he adopted a rescue pit bull named Ana. On July 11, 2015, the Villalobos Rescue Center put out a statement on Facebook in his honor. "Although Anthony and his wife Melissa split up after their episode aired, Melissa fell into some dark times of her own and ultimately Ana ended up in a situation that started off bad but had a happy ending with a new family. Anthony continued to fight his battle with cancer where just two weeks ago he left this world. He was such a kind young man and his outgoing personality was infectious," the statement read.