Alabama Research Facility Suspected of Purchasing Stolen or Lost Pets

Blue Ridge Kennel is a research laboratory located in Wetumpka, Alabama, that conducts feeding trials and research services for the dog food industry. Inspection records from Blue Ridge Kennel reveal a disturbing picture: ailing dogs, lack of veterinary care, unsafe environments, dogs with infected wounds and other untreated health issues. This has been going on for years. Even more disturbing, investigations show that the facility may have recieved stolen and/or lost local pets for their research. In January, the ASPCA put out a statement about this:

“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.”

AI Generated ImagePhoto byBing image created by April Killian

Blue Ridge Kennel is located on Rifle Ridge Road in Wetumpka, Alabama. The facility was started by Janice Plessner at her home after moving to Alabama in the 1970's. Plessner passed away in 2022. Since then, the facility has listed her son, John Plessner as the company's CEO. Blue Ridge Kennel has received 83 citations from the federal government for violations of the Federal Animal Welfare Act since 2020. In spite of this, the facility is still in operation. According to reports by the Rise for Animals Organization:

Inspectors had come to the Wetumpka, Alabama facility nearly one month after the USDA issued official warnings that Blue Ridge was operating in violation of federal animal welfare laws. Earlier inspections had found the dogs at Blue Ridge, a pet food research facility and boarding kennel, were not receiving adequate veterinary care. They also found animal care staff lacked appropriate training, that the dogs on premises were acquired through unlicensed animal dealers, and that research protocols were incomplete.

The report went on to say:

On this March morning, no one came out of the doors at Blue Ridge to walk the inspectors through the facility. The inspectors made a phone call to the chair of Blue Ridge’s institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC). The chair was unavailable to help. In fact, despite the dozens of dogs housed inside Blue Ridge, no one was available to help walk the inspectors through the facility. After a half hour of waiting, the inspectors left because “a responsible adult was not available to accompany [them] during the inspection process.” Inside, dozens of dogs were waiting. They needed help.

On Google, the description of Blue Ridge Kennel is listed as "services: dog training." However, that description seems to be very inaccurate. On the website chamberofcommerce.com, the facility describes itself as follows (typos and errors are from the Blue Ridge Kennel's own description):

Blue Ridge Kennels offers an array of feeding trials and research services for the pet food industry. We work with you closely to develop individualized testing programs that are specific to your product. Our expert staff is dedicated to providing each of our pets with this highest quality of life. Each pet has access to .... with .... outdoor area... for ample exercise and constant socialization. We've spent last ..... years perfecting our research techniques to provide you with the most precise results available. In fact, our longevity in accurate and in depth research puts us dog years ahead of the rest! Find out today why the top preforming pet food companies in the industry trust us with theirs products. - Blue Ridge Kennel, Wetumpka, Alabama

The facility falls under the oversight of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This is what PETA said about the facility on their website:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has taken the extremely rare action of filing a formal complaint against contract testing laboratory Blue Ridge Kennel for serious and chronic violations of federal animal welfare laws. The complaint follows concerns raised repeatedly by PETA about the mistreatment of dogs at the facility (details below)—including in a complaint that we filed in January with the sheriff of Elmore County, where Blue Ridge Kennel is located, for the company’s apparent violations of Alabama’s cruelty-to-animals laws. The USDA’s complaint refers to problems at Blue Ridge Kennel documented by the agency’s veterinarians in seven inspection reports from August 31, 2021, to December 14, 2022. Clearly, Blue Ridge Kennel is either unwilling or unable to comply with minimal animal welfare standards—and the USDA’s complaint should be the first step in shutting the place down.

The question that has failed to be answered: why does this facility still have a business license to operate in Wetumpka? Why has the USDA fined the facility over and over and yet still allowed it to operate? Apparently, the local officials in Wetumpka have passed the issue to the state police. According to Al.com:

PETA on March 12 sent a letter to CJ Robinson, the district attorney of Elmore County, asking him to investigate Blue Ridge. The Elmore County Sheriff's Office was also contacted. 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. A spokesperson for the state police told AL.com that they are assisting the USDA, the lead agency in this case.

Please follow me for updates to this story!

Click "follow" for more of my articles about the great state of Alabama! I'm a native and resident of the Shoals area, sharing events and unique stories about the places and people of Alabama the Beautiful. Have a story to tell? Email me: april.newsbreak@gmail.com.