Felony cockfighting charges have been filed against a north Minneapolis man who previously launched a legal fight against the city of Minneapolis to retrieve his seized chickens.

Cheng Lor was accused of participating in animal fighting after police and animal control officers entered his house in January and found several chickens and pens and two dead roosters. Police were acting on information gleaned during an earlier, unrelated search of the house by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

A city legal filing in the civil court case also says Lor is no longer seeking to use legal action to retrieve the seven seized roosters. He is, however, still seeking to retrieve the hens and chicks. The 15 animals are being held at the city's animal control facility.

Officers at Lor's house found live roosters beside bloody carriers, a bloody suitcase and a blood-specked carpet. The roosters' spurs had been rounded, which police said is often done to prepare them for cockfighting. Several roosters were also scarred and missing chest feathers, according to police.

Investigators also searched Lor's cellphone and found numerous text messages that referred to fighting birds, as well as selling and breeding birds for fighting.

Lor had argued in the civil case that the two dead roosters had gotten loose and began fighting while he was away. Lor's attorney, Casey Rundquist, did not immediately return a request for comment Friday.

Eric Roper, Star Tribune

Lor posted bail March 17. He has a hearing scheduled April 15.

ERIC ROPER