A major Albuquerque research facility that employs more than 500 people has been cited by federal inspectors for two critical violations of the Animal Welfare Act, including an incident where a monkey was found alive in a plastic bag in a refrigerator after a botched euthanasia procedure.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture cited Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute at 2425 Ridgecrest Dr. SE following a May 21 inspection that documented the violations, according to a federal inspection report. The facility, which receives more than $76 million annually in revenue, conducts preclinical drug development research for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
In one violation, a veterinarian leading a euthanasia training session on Jan. 28 injected a six-year-old female cynomolgus macaque but failed to ensure the animal died before placing it in a sealed plastic bag in a refrigerator. Necropsy staff later discovered the monkey “exhibited signs of respiration and a heartbeat” when they removed it from the bag, according to the USDA inspection report.
The veterinarian had to return to administer an additional dose of euthanasia solution. Federal inspectors noted the incident “could have caused it to experience unnecessary distress and discomfort or pain.”
In a separate incident on Nov. 12, 2024, staff failed to properly lock a cage door, allowing two adult cynomolgus macaques to escape and fight with another caged monkey. The injuries were discovered the next morning and required amputations: one monkey lost two toes, another lost a finger and suffered severe face and hand wounds, while the third monkey sustained an arm laceration.
“Critical” violations represent the most serious category under federal animal welfare law and can result in fines up to $12,771 per day per violation, according to Animal Welfare Act regulations.
The violations add to a pattern of federal compliance problems at the facility dating back more than 15 years. Between 2008 and 2009, the USDA found Lovelace violated the Animal Welfare Act nine times, including incidents involving animal deaths. The facility was fined $21,750 in 2011 for violations that included the strangulation death of a monkey, and $6,200 in 2022 for the deaths of two juvenile monkeys.
Since June 2014, Lovelace has been cited for 29 violations of federal animal welfare laws, according to animal rights organization PETA, which obtained the most recent inspection report and has filed complaints with the National Institutes of Health urging suspension of federal funding.
Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, founded after World War II and now affiliated with Touro University, researches gene therapies, infectious diseases and medical countermeasures. The facility houses primates, dogs, rabbits and other animals in more than 300,000 square feet of laboratory space on a 100-acre campus.
The facility’s compliance issues extend beyond animal welfare. In 2021, the New Mexico Environment Department fined Lovelace $100,000 for violating state radiation protection laws, including failure to maintain adequate financial assurance for decommissioning radioactive materials.
The USDA inspection report indicates the facility has implemented corrective measures for both violations, including revised euthanasia procedures requiring secondary confirmation methods and new locks with mandatory staff training for primate handlers.
Federal inspectors noted that both violations were “corrected before the time of this inspection on 5/21/2025,” but the critical citations remain on the facility’s compliance record.
