EVERETT — Protesters lined up outside animal medical research lab SNBL USA on Thursday over a federal complaint that alleges that 38 monkeys have died in the company’s care over five years.

About a dozen people waved signs that read “Shut It Down” and “SNBL: Monkey Killers” along the sidewalk outside the lab at 6605 Merrill Creek Parkway in Everett.

The company has shown years of “callous neglect and ongoing incompetence,” said Caitlin K. Hawks, litigation counsel with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Medical researchers should use non-animal ways to test new drugs, she said.

SNBL received a nine-page complaint from the United States Department of Agriculture on Oct. 6 alleging the company violated the federal Animal Welfare Act, that regulates the treatment of animals in research and exhibition.

The complaint alleges that the macaque monkeys used for medical research died after the company failed to provide adequate veterinary care.

SNBL released a statement that said the company has a long history of contributing research to some of the most devastating diseases around the world, including leukemia and life-threatening muscular dystrophy in infants.

“SNBL is taking this situation seriously and is cooperating fully with USDA officials to address and resolve this matter,” the company said in a statement.

SNBL operates two facilities in the U.S., a breeding and research facility in Everett and a breeding, holding, import and research facility in Alice, Texas.

The USDA alleged the violations occurred between Dec. 26, 2011, and May 4.

The majority of the monkey deaths — 25 of the 38 — occurred in October 2013 when the company sent 840 long-tailed macaques from Cambodia, to Houston, Texas.

Upon arrival, SNBL veterinarians observed that that the monkeys were thirsty and appeared weak, thin and in poor shape, according to the complaint.

The company did not provide veterinary care to the macaques, but sent 360 of them to its facility in Alice and 480 to Everett, the complaint alleges.

Five macaques died before arrival, 17 died or were euthanized shortly after and three more monkeys died in the next five days. The deaths were attributed to organ failure caused by dehydration and hypoglycemia, according to the complaint.

Jim Davis: 425-339-3097; jdavis@heraldnet.com.