Chinchilla Supplier Loses License over Animal Welfare Violations

Moulton Chinchilla Ranch, the main US source of the animals for research, had a years-long history of disturbing findings in USDA inspections.

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ABOVE: A photograph of the Moulton Chinchilla Ranch taken during an undercover investigation by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
PETA

A Minnesota animal supplier, Moulton Chinchilla Ranch, has lost its license, a judge ruled on Friday (October 8). The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) had requested action from the court after finding what it said were violations of the Animal Welfare Act during inspections, including animals that had not received timely veterinary care and sharp, rusty edges on animals’ housing.

According to National Geographic, one USDA inspector, Brenton Cox, testified during the hearing that he had nightmares after walking through the facility, and had made it a training tool for “how to deal with the worst-case scenario facilities.”

Attorney Russ Mead of Lewis & Clark Law School notes in comments to Science that the facility had an eight-year history of animal welfare violations. “It took 213 violations ...

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Meet the Author

  • Shawna Williams

    Shawna was an editor at The Scientist from 2017 through 2022. She holds a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Colorado College and a graduate certificate and science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
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