Dead animals, swollen eyes, rat poison: Ohio breeder hid 800 chinchillas from inspectors for years; over 1,100 surrendered after shocking discovery

An Ohio chinchilla breeder has agreed to surrender more than 1,100 animals after a federal investigation uncovered disturbing conditions at its breeding facility, including dead animals, untreated medical conditions, excessive fecal accumulation and hundreds of chinchillas allegedly hidden from inspectors for years.

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio endorsed a consent decree between the United States and R & R Chinchilla Inc., requiring the breeder to surrender the remaining 300-plus chinchillas at its facility in Jenera, Ohio.

The court order follows the voluntary surrender of approximately 800 additional chinchillas to animal welfare organizations under a modified temporary restraining order.

The breeder's owner, James F. Ritterspach, has also agreed to permanently stop all activities regulated under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). His AWA licence has been permanently revoked, theJustice Department announced.

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Ohio breeder allegedly hid 800 chinchillas from federal inspectors for years

According to the Justice Department, R & R Chinchilla Inc. and its president, James F. Ritterspach, were accused of repeatedly violating the Animal Welfare Act and failing to meet federal standards for the humane care, handling and treatment of approximately 1,100 chinchillas.

The company has bred chinchillas for more than 40 years.

Following a referral from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) that animals were in serious danger, the Justice Department filed a complaint against the company and its owner in August.

The complaint alleged that Ritterspach falsely represented to USDA inspectors that the facility housed between 300 and 450 animals. However, approximately 800 additional chinchillas had allegedly been concealed in a separate building for years to avoid inspection.

According to the complaint, USDA inspectors conducted 18 inspections of the facility between September 2022 and August 2026. They identified multiple Animal Welfare Act violations in nearly every inspection, with 59 violations recorded over four years.

In one incident, inspectors allegedly observed Ritterspach ripping a four-by-six-inch mat of hair off a chinchilla while holding the animal by its tail.

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Dead animals, swollen eyes: Inspectors uncover disturbing conditions

On August 5, USDA inspectors gained access to the previously undisclosed building and discovered hundreds of chinchillas living in what officials described as dire conditions.

Deputy Administrator Bernadette Juarez of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said inspectors found conditions worse than any facility they had previously inspected.

The alleged violations included:

• Animals with swollen eyes and discharge so severe that they could not open them.
• Fecal material covering the entire floor of hundreds of enclosures.
• Ammonia levels so high that USDA inspectors began coughing and had to leave the building.
• Open packets of rat poison kept next to chinchilla enclosures.
• A metal collar that had become tightly embedded in an animal's neck.

Inspectors also found multiple dead animals inside the building.

Juarez said the inspections revealed untreated medical conditions, excessive fecal accumulation and the concealment of approximately 800 chinchillas in a second structure that had been withheld from inspection for years.

USDA had issued an official warning in 2024 and taken multiple enforcement actions, including two summary suspensions, before working with the Justice Department on the case.

What happens to the 1,100 chinchillas after the court order?

The Justice Department and the USDA worked together to secure the surrender and relocation of the animals.

On August 20, the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division and the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio filed a motion seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction.

The court granted the temporary restraining order on August 21. A subsequent modified order required R & R Chinchilla and Ritterspach to work with the United States to surrender approximately 800 animals.

Following the court's latest action, Ritterspach agreed to surrender the remaining chinchillas under the consent decree and permanently cease all further activities regulated by the Animal Welfare Act.

He also entered into a separate consent decree and order with USDA, permanently revoking his Animal Welfare Act licence.

The Justice Department said the settlement has resulted in the safe relocation of all the animals involved.

Justice Department warns federally licensed breeders against animal neglect

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department's Energy and Natural Resources Division said federally licensed animal breeders and caretakers must follow basic standards established by Congress.

These include providing clean water, adequate food and housing, and sufficient veterinary care.

He added that the settlement had led to the safe relocation of all the animals involved and highlighted the government's commitment to enforcing the law and holding violators accountable.

US Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio also said federally licensed pet breeders must adhere to the Animal Welfare Act.

"Animals cannot be abused, kept in dirty cages, and neglected so badly that they suffer or die," he said.

The USDA said it would continue taking strong enforcement action when serious or repeated noncompliance threatens animal welfare and undermines public trust in licensed operations.