DENVER -- Police officers confiscated three dozen pit bulls from a southwest Denver home Monday morning after they were called to the home because of a loud ruckus.

Of the 18 adult dogs and 18 puppies that were seized, most appear to be in relatively good health, said Doug Kelly, with Denver Animal Control. One dog was taken to a veterinarian to be checked out.

Many of the dogs had old injuries that indicate thay had been in previous fights with other animals, and some of the dogs had dried blood stains on their fur, police said.

"The dogs were all extremely massive and were obviously agitated," said Denver police spokeswoman Virginia Quinones.

Police were called to the home on Jewell and South Raleigh at about 11:50 a.m., when neighbors reported hearing numerous dogs barking and crying inside the building.

When officers arrived, they found dozens of pit bulls in cages outside of the home, and a man with a bloody hand throwing water on them. That man, Michael Padilla, had the tip of his finger bitten off by one of his dogs, police said. The missing portion of his finger couldn't be found so paramedics were summoned to the home to provide first aid, police said.

Padilla, 38, told police he had the dogs for show but officers said anyone familiar with show dogs would know that these dogs were in no condition to be in the show ring.

He was cited with 36 counts of cruelty to animals, animal neglect, and violation of the city's pit bull ban.

There were a total of 36 dogs at the home in multiple pens, including at least 13 pit bull puppies who were in the cages with their mother, police said. Some of the dog cages were in the garage, other cages were stacked inside a trailer that was hitched to a van and one dog was in a cage in the van, Denver police said.

Padilla told officers that he had just moved from Texas and did not know about the city's strict pit bull ban. He said he arrived in the state last Tuesday and was supposed to be moving to Brighton with the dogs.

A relative of Padilla's allowed him to store his vehicle with the dogs at the Denver home, police said.

While the dogs were being seized and loaded into four Animal Control vans, a Denver officer stood by with a shotgun for the safety of the animal control officers on scene, police said. That turned out to be a wise move, especially when one of the pit bulls got loose and had to be captured by his owner, Quinones said.

The dogs were taken to a shelter at 678 S. Jason.

Denver began enforcing its pit bull ban last May. It is one the toughest pit-bull bans in the country, but Denver officials say it is necessary to protects its residents.

Denver banned pit bulls in 1989 after dogs mauled a minister and killed a boy in separate attacks. A Colorado state law passed in 2004 had prohibited cities from banning specific breeds but Denver won a court challenge to the law.