Two Westport animal inspectors have been relieved of duty by the state in the wake of the discovery of more than 1,000 animals living in deplorable conditions on a 70-acre farm in the town — a massive cruelty case that officials say was building for years.

In letters to Westport animal inspectors John Colletti and Karl Santos, the director of the state Division of Animal Health said clean inspection reports from January were in stark contrast to the reality: scores of dead animals, leaking oil drums and unsanitary conditions that “took years to accumulate.’’

Colletti and Santos are both members of Westport’s three-person Board of Health, which is responsible for nominating animal inspectors to be appointed by the state. Paid by the town, inspectors are responsible for submitting annual reports to the state detailing the condition of every farm that raises animals.

On Thursday, Colletti acknowledged receiving the letter but said he’d already tendered his resignation as an inspector last week. He said he was not present for the January inspections, which reviewed only four of about 20 different farm lots rented to tenants on the property.

The inspections, Colletti said, were conducted by James Walsh, a Board of Health employee whose appointment as an animal inspector had repeatedly been denied by the Division of Animal Health in recent years.

“Basically we didn’t have anybody else to do it,’’ Colletti said. “We gotta get them done, and he has more experience than anybody I know.’’ Town officials said Walsh is on vacation this week.

It was not clear how the January inspections could have raised no red flags on the farm, spread across a heavily wooded area about a mile south of American Legion Highway in town. Police have described a chaotic scene, where cows, sheep, pigs, goats, and smaller animals wallowed in their own filth, eating trash while flies buzzed around rotting carcasses.

“The conditions described on this property are not the result of a few weeks or months of mismanagement,’’ wrote Division of Animal Health Director Michael Cahill. But on the inspection forms, “the question at the bottom of the form that asks if the accommodations are adequate with reference to sanitation, cleanliness, light, ventilation, and water supply are simply answered, ‘yes.’ ’’

The grotesque scene was uncovered in July when two dogs got loose and killed several goats. The incident led police to the scene, and the investigation quickly widened. The ­ASPCA and other animal welfare groups from around the region have been on scene ever since. Removal of the animals began earlier this week, and many are being cared for at an undisclosed location.

A similar cruelty case on the same farmland resulted in a handful of criminal prosecutions six years ago. Police are still gathering evidence, and said criminal charges against the tenant farmers could still be weeks away. Landowner Richard Medeiros, who was charged but not convicted in the 2010 case, told the Globe this week that he was not aware anything was wrong at the farm, and said he believes the scope of the case is being exaggerated.

The removal of Colletti and Santos leaves the town with a single animal inspector — Frederick Ponte, an employee of the town’s transfer station and recycling center — authorized to perform the required annual inspections of farms that raise animals. There are roughly 200 such farms in Westport, according to the 2012 census of agriculture.

Colletti said he resigned because he disagreed with policies regarding when and how inspections should be conducted. Santos could not be reached Thursday, but Colletti said he believed he too had planned to resign.

“I’m not sure how we’re going to handle this just yet,’’ Colletti said. “We have to have a meeting and discuss it, and we really haven’t done that.’’

Nestor Ramos can be reached at nestor.ramos@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @NestorARamos.