Federal Decree: Ohio Chinchilla Breeder Closes After 18 Inspections

The Department of Justice announced a consent decree requiring R & R Chinchilla Inc. to cease all regulated animal operations permanently. The agreement compels the company and its president, James F. Ritterspach, to surrender the remaining population of chinchillas at their Hancock County facility in Jenera, Ohio.

The closure follows a federal complaint filed in August that detailed 18 inspections by the U.S. Department of Agriculture since September 2022. Those inspections documented 59 violations of the Animal Welfare Act over a four-year period. The complaint alleges that the facility failed to provide humane care, handling, and treatment for approximately 1,100 chinchillas.

Ritterspach had previously claimed the operation housed between 300 and 450 animals. Federal investigators found that he concealed roughly 800 additional chinchillas in a separate, undisclosed building to evade standard checks. On Aug. 5, inspectors gained access to that hidden structure and described the conditions as some of the worst they had ever encountered.

Evidence gathered by the Department of Justice includes instances of animals with eyes swollen shut and oozing discharge, as well as fecal material covering entire enclosure floors. Inspectors reported high ammonia levels that forced them to leave the building and noted open packages of rat poison left next to animal cages. One animal was found with a metal collar tightly embedded in its neck.

Under the terms of the settlement, Ritterspach must forfeit his Animal Welfare Act license. The order requires the surrender of more than 300 chinchillas still at the Jenera site. This adds to the nearly 800 animals voluntarily handed over to rescue groups earlier under a modified temporary restraining order. The company has bred chinchillas for more than 40 years.

The Department of Justice stated that the USDA received multiple reports indicating the animals were in serious danger. The agency encouraged the public to file complaints about animal welfare conditions through the USDA’s website. The consent decree was endorsed by federal officials to ensure the permanent end of the breeding operation.