(CNN) A watchdog group filed a lawsuit on Tuesday seeking documents from the US Department of Agriculture about experiments conducted by the agency's research center in Maryland that have allegedly killed hundreds of cats by incineration.

The group, White Coat Waste Project, filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the USDA in June asking for documents about experiments being conducted on cats at the USDA Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. The agency did not respond to the group's Freedom of Information Act request.

The lawsuit was filed in DC District Court. The group is now asking the court to intervene, claiming the agency violated the Freedom of Information Act by failing to comply with its request.

A spokesperson for the USDA Agricultural Research Service said the agency could not comment on ongoing litigation.

The lawsuit was first reported by The Washington Post

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