The Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute in Albuquerque has received an official warning from the U.S. Department of Agriculture following two critical violations of animal welfare regulations that resulted in serious injuries to laboratory animals and a botched euthanasia procedure.
The violations, documented in a USDA inspection report dated May 21 and first reported by NM.news, led to the federal agency issuing an Official Warning on Aug. 27 for improper handling of non-human primates at the Albuquerque facility.
In the most serious incident, which occurred Jan. 28, 2025, a veterinarian supervising a euthanasia training session failed to ensure a 6-year-old female cynomolgus macaque had died after injection with euthanasia solution. The animal was placed in a sealed plastic bag and refrigerated, but necropsy staff later discovered the monkey still showed signs of respiration and heartbeat, according to the USDA report.
The veterinarian was immediately notified and administered an additional dose of euthanasia solution. The USDA report states the entire incident lasted approximately five minutes and notes the animal never exhibited movement or signs of consciousness during that time.
A separate incident on Nov. 12, 2024, involved an animal care technician who failed to properly secure a cage door, allowing two adult cynomolgus macaques to escape into a holding room. The escaped animals then fought with another caged macaque, resulting in severe injuries requiring surgical amputation.
One animal lost two toes, another required finger amputation and sustained severe facial and hand trauma, and a third suffered arm lacerations, according to the inspection report. All animals recovered with veterinary care.
The facility houses six adult dogs and an unspecified number of cynomolgus macaques for research purposes, according to USDA records.
Following the incidents, Lovelace instituted new procedures, purchased new locks and conducted additional training for staff working with non-human primates. The facility also revised its euthanasia protocols to require secondary physical confirmation methods.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has called for license revocation of the veterinarian involved and filed a complaint with the New Mexico Board of Veterinary Medicine, which is investigating the matter.
“It’s difficult to fathom how staff could be so inept that they could seal a still-living monkey in a plastic bag and put him in a refrigerator,” said Dr. Lisa Jones-Engel, PETA’s senior science advisor, in a statement.
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service warned that future violations could result in sanctions, including criminal prosecution.
