LINCOLN- Rick Herchenbach said he had to speak up because the state wouldn't.

Herchenbach is the "whistleblower" at the center of a new report by the State Ombudsman.

The report found the Department of Agriculture repeatedly failed to act in cases of animal abuse and neglect.

In an interview with KETV Newswatch 7 investigates, Herchenbach showed us some of the photos from breeders and rescue operations he has investigated over the past 17 1/2 years.

"Dogs were emaciated, being starved, open wounds, self-mutilation. Extremely unsanitary conditions where the dogs could not escape their own feces," Herchenbach said.

He said some needed immediate attention. He wanted to report evidence of criminal abuse to local law enforcement. But he said over the past several years, he increasingly heard the same thing from his supervisors.

"No don't report it, or they'll take care of it," Herchenbach said.

He said that was not okay with him, legally or ethically.

He said he tried to get the state's AG Department leadership to do something about it. "I have come to the Department a number of times over the past 18 years," Herchenbach said.

He went to State Ombudsman in August 2019. That office did investigate. Leading to a new 199-page report.

In the Ombudsman said while it could find no criminal wrongdoing by department Director Steve Wellman or other staff it did list several incidents where the Department failed to act. And it expressed "deep concerns" about a "lack of zealously" enforcing the law.

The report also said the department violated the state's Whistleblower Act by trying to demote and discredit Herchebach.

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