Ohio breeder ordered to surrender 1,100 chinchillas following federal welfare violations

TOLEDO, Ohio (WLIO) — A commercial chinchilla breeder in northwestern Ohio has been ordered to surrender 1,100 animals following repeated federal Animal Welfare Act violations, authorities said.

R&R Chinchilla Inc., located in Jenera, reached an agreement with the federal government after U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors uncovered severe neglect and deceit at the Hancock County facility. Inspectors documented animals suffering from untreated medical conditions, facilities with excessive waste buildup, and hundreds of animals hidden from view.

Since 2022, the USDA conducted 18 inspections at the facility, citing violations of the Animal Welfare Act during nearly every visit. Officials said operators falsely claimed to house only about 350 chinchillas, but inspectors subsequently discovered 800 additional animals concealed inside another building on the property.

As part of the agreement, the owner’s breeding license has been revoked.

Media Release from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio

Ohio Pet Breeder Agrees to Surrender Over 1,100 Chinchillas

Justice Department Secured Veterinary Access for the Animals Over Last Three Months

WASHINGTON — The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio yesterday (November 2, 2026) endorsed a consent decree entered between the United States and the owner of R & R Chinchilla Inc. to surrender over 300 remaining chinchillas at a breeding facility in Jenera, Ohio. The court order follows R & R Chinchilla’s voluntary surrender of roughly 800 additional chinchillas to animal welfare organizations pursuant to a modified temporary restraining order.

“Animal breeders and caretakers that are federally licensed have an obligation to comply with basic standards Congress established to provide clean water, adequate food and housing, and sufficient veterinary care to their animals,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We appreciate that the settlement agreement we reached in this matter has led to the safe relocation of all the animals involved. The heart of the Animal Welfare Act is to make sure animals are receiving good care, and that is what happened here. We highlight this case to show that we will enforce the law and hold violators accountable.”

“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. We will hold those violating these federal laws accountable,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “We are thankful for the great work of the USDA investigators which has resulted in the surrender of the animals that were in the breeding facility involved in this matter.”

“Over multiple inspections, APHIS inspectors documented deeply troubling conditions at this facility, including animals with untreated medical conditions, excessive fecal accumulation, and the concealment of approximately 800 additional chinchillas in a second structure that had been withheld from inspection for years,” said Deputy Administrator Bernadette Juarez of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)’s Animal Care program. “USDA has a responsibility to ensure that licensed facilities meet the standards required under the Animal Welfare Act, and the conditions identified at this facility reflected a prolonged failure to provide basic animal care. After issuing an official warning in 2024 and taking multiple enforcement actions, including two summary suspensions, USDA worked closely with the Department of Justice to advance this case. We are grateful for the court’s action, which enabled the safe removal of approximately 800 chinchillas from the facility and gives these animals the opportunity to receive the care they urgently need. We also welcome the revocation of the facility’s Animal Welfare Act license, which reflects the seriousness of the violations documented by our inspectors. APHIS will continue to take strong enforcement action when serious or repeated noncompliance threatens animal welfare and undermines public trust in licensed operations.”

After receiving a referral from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that animals were in serious danger, the Justice Department in August filed a complaint against R & R Chinchilla and its president, James. F. Ritterspach. The complaint alleged failures on multiple occasions to comply with the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and its regulations and standards for the humane care, handling, and treatment of around 1,100 chinchillas at the R & R Chinchilla’s Hancock County facility. R & R Chinchilla has bred chinchillas for over 40 years. Chinchillas are small animals with dense, soft fur, weighing one to two pounds, and are typically categorized as exotic pets.

According to the complaint, since September 2022 the USDA conducted 18 inspections of R & R Chinchilla’s facility. In nearly every inspection, multiple violations of the AWA were identified, with 59 violations occurring within the past four years. For example, inspectors observed Ritterspach ripping a four-by-six-inch mat of hair off a chinchilla while holding the animal by the tail. The complaint alleged that R & R Chinchilla, through Ritterspach, falsely represented to USDA inspectors that it had between 300 to 450 animals at its facility. In reality, Ritterspach for years allegedly concealed about 800 additional animals in a separate building to avoid inspection of those animals.

On Aug. 5, USDA inspectors gained access to evaluate this previously undisclosed building and found hundreds of animals in dire conditions. The inspectors noted that the building was in worse condition than any facility they had ever inspected. Inspectors also observed multiple dead animals in the facility. Alleged AWA violations include:

• Animals found with eyes so swollen and oozing with discharge that they could not open them;
• Fecal material covering the entire floor of hundreds of enclosures;
• Ammonia levels that were so high it caused USDA inspectors to cough to the point of having to leave the building;
• Open packets of rat poison kept right next to enclosures housing chinchillas; and
• A metal collar becoming tightly embedded in the neck of an animal.

ENRD and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio filed a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction motion on Aug. 20. The court granted the temporary restraining order on Aug. 21 and later issued a modified order agreed to by the parties, adding to the measures already in place to address some of the alleged chronic issues at the facility. Furthermore, the order required R & R Chinchilla and Ritterspach to work with the United States to surrender approximately 800 of the animals at their facility. Under the terms of the consent decree, Ritterspach agreed to relinquish the remaining chinchillas and permanently cease any further AWA-regulated activity. Ritterspach also entered into a consent decree and order with USDA that permanently revokes Ritterspach’s AWA license.

Attorneys Kamela A. Caschette, Bonnie M. Ballard, and Davis A. Backer of ENRD’s Wildlife and Marine Resources Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Rojas for the Northern District of Ohio are handling this matter.

To report animal welfare violations, you can file a complaint on the USDA’s website.