Investigators found malnourished and diseased dogs at an animal testing facility in Alabama, prompting the federal government to issue dozens of citations in recent years.

And now state police are also investigating Blue Ridge Kennel, a laboratory that conducts research for the pet food industry at a facility north of Montgomery in Wetumpka.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture cited Blue Ridge for violations of the Animal Welfare Act, mostly for “failing to use appropriate methods to prevent, control, diagnose and treat diseases and injuries of its dogs,” agency records state.

In 2023, the USDA noted 25 violations and leveled $80,000 in fines against Blue Ridge, according to the agency’s inspection reports.

A consent decision issued by the USDA this month stated that Blue Ridge agreed to pay $48,000 and to stop any violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Unless the USDA finds additional violations at the lab, Blue Ridge can avoid paying an additional $32,000, according to the decision.

John Plessner, the CEO of Blue Ridge, did not respond to a request for comment.

In reports dating back to 2022, the federal agency observed malnourished dogs, dogs so overweight that it was difficult for them to stand, dogs suffering from disease without treatment, and dogs that came from ‘unlicensed’ and ‘unknown’ sources.

An animal rights organization, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, raised concerns that dogs from unlicensed sources ‘may have been stolen’, and said in a press release that the kennel has received 83 citations since 2020.

“Dogs at Blue Ridge Kennel are plagued by untreated injuries and infections, are suffering from open wounds, and are just skin and bones,” PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo said in a press release this week. “PETA is urging law enforcement to prosecute those responsible and finally end this vicious neglect and mistreatment.”

PETA on March 12 sent a letter to CJ Robinson, the district attorney of Elmore County, asking him to investigate Blue Ridge.

Robinson and the Elmore County Sheriff’s office told AL.com that they referred the case to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency after receiving reports from PETA. The state police took up the investigation last week, according to Robinson.

“I have contacted local law enforcement, state law enforcement and the feds to make sure that the appropriate agency was doing the investigation. At this point in time ALEA is the contact point for conducting the investigation so everything will go to them until they complete their investigation,” Robinson said.

A spokesperson for the state police told AL.com that they are assisting the USDA, the lead agency in this case.

An April 2023 USDA inspection report details multiple dogs who had ‘severe dental disease.’ An 11-year-old lab named Showboat and a 12-year-old golden retriever named Thor had hard, dark brown substances covering their teeth, swollen gums and broken canines, the report states.

A 9-year-old lab named Sunny had similar dental issues, according to the report, as well as a narrowed left ear canal and a right ear canal that was “filled with a large amount of brown black material” that was odorous. In all three cases, according to the USDA, their dental issues were not listed in medical records and they were not scheduled for a veterinary exam other than their regular annual exams that were due in May.

In some instances, the USDA found that dogs were never given medications prescribed by a vet. In one case a dog was not given a collar after being spayed so she scratched and licked the surgery site, causing it to become infected, the report states.

Another report states that a redbone hound was so thin it had protruding bones and abdominal tuck. A vet recommended that the dog be retired, but the kennel continued to use it for studies, the records state.

The reports also detail worms found in dogs and facilities in disrepair—rusted and jagged fences, exposed screws in structures where the dogs exercise, cracked floors, and clogged floor drains that left standing water.

An October 2023 inspection report also said the facility ‘knowingly obtained’ a dog — a female cocker spaniel, golden retriever mix — from an unlicensed source who would not verify where the dog came from.

In January, the ASPCA put out a statement specifically addressing this practice, saying: “On three separate occasions in 2023, inspectors cited Blue Ridge Kennel for acquiring dogs under false pretenses, not informing those who sold dogs to the facility that the dogs would be used for research and testing, or for acquiring dogs used for research from unlicensed sources. These requirements are at the core of the Animal Welfare Act and aim to protect stolen pets from being used for research.”

The national animal protection organization also urged the USDA to hold Blue Ridge Kennel accountable by revoking their license. The group filed a formal complaint with the federal agency in December.

Robinson, the district attorney in Elmore County, said that the investigation could wind up in one of three places. “They can either bring it locally to my office, they could take it to the AGs office or they may determine that there is some federal stuff involved.”