30 pit bulls seized from man's home

CHICAGO, June 14 (UPI) -- A Chicago man is facing criminal charges after police sized more than 30 pit bulls from his home that seemed to be involved in dogfighting, officials said.

The canines exhibited physical signs they were involved in fights, such as damaged ears, powerful jaw muscles, sharpened toenails, considerable scaring and unhealed flesh wounds, the Chicago Tribune reported Friday.

"It's up there with the worst cases we've seen," said Sgt. Eldon Urbikas of the Chicago police animal crimes unit.

Officials said the dogs were living in a cellar in stacked wire cages where feces were allowed to drop onto dogs in lower cages.

Larue Jackson, 50, was arrested and is facing 21 misdemeanor counts of possession of a pit bull by a felon, police spokesman Penny Mateck said.

Jackson, whose wife and two children live with him, was found guilty of sexual assault in 1995 and convicted of solicitation twice in the past three years, court records indicate.