Is a Monkey, Chimp, Lion or Tiger living next to you?

Readers, I just posted some information today about how you can tell whether a sanctuary is a good or bad one. it's worth reading, just a few posts down. This is NOT a sanctuary!!!!!!!! This is why people get confused about what is good and what is bad. The most important thing is that a Real Sanctuary DOES NOT interact with the animals!! That is not sanction for the animals. Anyone that thinks you can take the wild out of a wild animal is disillusioned! I know I worked with them for over 15 years. Once a wild animal always a wild animal. Look at the Travis/Sandra Herold/Charla Nash case. Travis was like a child to Sandra, she slept with him, lived with him in her home and he did all of the things that humans did but...... one day his wildness came out. Not only did he attack Charla but then tried to go after the person that loved him more than anything, the person that raised him from a baby. You just can't make them domestacted no matter what you do or how long you do it for. I had rescued a toothless monkey once and even with no teeth he broke a few bones in my hand by rapid biting me.

I hope when this movie comes out they don't put a spin on it that makes it look "cool" to own an exotic animal. I once met a tiger that was suppose to be put to death because he had pulled a woman with his paw to the edge of his cage and he ripped her apart through the cage!!!!!. Before the authroites could take the tiger the owners moved him to another facility and that's where I meet him. He was housed alone because he couldn't be trusted with any other tigers. People that own exotic animals should have in their wills to donate their organs because their death will surly come.

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Just a few pages into a book given to him by a friend, Michael Webber couldn't believe what he was reading: Thousands of Americans keep exotic wildlife, from tigers to lethally poisonous snakes, in their homes and yards -- absolutely unregulated.

"It just seemed bizarre to me that there are some areas of the country that require you to get a dog license to own a poodle, but in that same area, you can get a tiger and raise it in your home," the Hollywood TV and film producer says by phone from Ohio. "Or you can get a venomous snake, a python, a chimpanzee, and there is absolutely no licensing requirement or oversight. Your neighbor can even stick an elephant in the back yard and there is nothing you can do about it."

The book, "Wildlife Warrior: More Tales Of Suburban Safaris" by former animal-control officer Tim Harrison, became the beginning of an odyssey for Webber, which led to the new documentary, "The Elephant in the Living Room," which opens at selected theaters in Denver next week.

The movie explores the strange and often shadowy world of "exotic" wildlife in the United States, from marketers and auctions to owners who have formed a deep attachment to their "pets." It focuses on Harrison, who has avidly crusaded against ownership and marketing of wildlife, and Terry Brumfield, an Ohio man who raised and kept two African lions, Lambert and Lacey, in his home.

Boulder native Pat Craig, founder of The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesberg, appears in "The Elephant in the Living Room." Camera file photo ( JON HATCH)touching, even cute, but it's anything but. Lambert, the male lion, escapes onto a local highway, where he is reported for chasing down speeding cars (911 operators were understandably incredulous). After that, the authorities give their owner an ultimatum: give the lions away, or keep them penned up. Brumfield, who formed deep emotional attachment to the lions as cubs, when he was recovering from a severe accident, reluctantly keeps them in a cramped, filthy horse trailer, where they live for several months.

Boulder native Pat Craig, founder of The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesberg, appears in "The Elephant in the Living Room." Camera file photo ( JON HATCH)touching, even cute, but it's anything but. Lambert, the male lion, escapes onto a local highway, where he is reported for chasing down speeding cars (911 operators were understandably incredulous). After that, the authorities give their owner an ultimatum: give the lions away, or keep them penned up. Brumfield, who formed deep emotional attachment to the lions as cubs, when he was recovering from a severe accident, reluctantly keeps them in a cramped, filthy horse trailer, where they live for several months.

The film mostly walks a carefully non-judgmental line, and Webber even confesses that he formed a bond with Brumfield, who comes off as well-meaning but clueless.

"These aren't evil people," Webber says. "They are people who love animals, arguably more than most people out there. They have a strong connection to their exotics, even stronger than some people have for their dogs or cats."

The story of Harrison's gentle attempts to persuade Brumfield to give up the lions is interwoven with harrowing tales of animals turning on their owners, hidden-camera footage of the people behind the exotic market and interviews with people on both sides of the debate.

But despite the sympathy he developed for Brumfield, Webber says he came down on the side of those who want to limit and regulate, if not ban, the ownership of most wildlife in the United States.

"I just experienced all the negative sides of this, for the animals and the owners," he says.

Pat Craig, a Boulder native who is founder and director of the Wild Animal Sanctuary near Keenesburg on the eastern plains of Colorado, appears in the film. He advised Webber and Harrison, and eventually took in some of the animals shown.

"For me the movie represents a great educational tool. Joe Public will see it and say, 'Wow, that is a huge problem.' I'm a real fan of the movie in that sense," Craig says.

But he is uncompromising in his refusal to "coddle" people who take in animals that they will deprive of a natural habitat and life, and for which almost all are unequipped to care for. He even criticizes Webber and Harrison for succumbing on camera to the lure of some lion cubs.

"All these people love their animals," Craig says. "But they either provide for them or don't provide. I don't doubt that (Brumfield) loved his lions. ... But we learned a long time ago that being sympathetic, having any hesitation initially (with owners) will end up costing the animals."

Craig points out that virtually all large exotic wildlife goes without any veterinary care simply because most vets won't -- or can't -- handle them. Most people have no exotic animal husbandry skills and almost none can provide a suitable habitat for say, a tiger, a bear, or even a large snake.

The Wild Animal Sanctuary permanently cares for almost 300 animals that have been abandoned by their previous owners, including about 70 tigers, 86 bears, 34 wolves and 40 African lions. The animals live on 320 acres and cost about $3 million a year to care for, Craig says. Animals are prevented from breeding through birth control. (The public may visit the sanctuary for a fee; for more information, go to wildanimalsanctuary.org.)

Terry Brumfield, an Ohio man who kept adult lions at his home, in "The Elephant in the Living Room." Courtesy photo. animals," Craig says. "But they either provide for them or don't provide. I don't doubt that (Brumfield) loved his lions. ... But we learned a long time ago that being sympathetic, having any hesitation initially (with owners) will end up costing the animals."

Craig points out that virtually all large exotic wildlife goes without any veterinary care simply because most vets won't -- or can't -- handle them. Most people have no exotic animal husbandry skills and almost none can provide a suitable habitat for say, a tiger, a bear, or even a large snake.

Since animals are considered property in most states and seizing them often results in lawsuits, Craig advocates laws requiring that owners pay for liability insurance.

"We should require a million dollars worth of insurance," he says. "It's amazing how so many owners who say they would never give up (an animal) find out they have to pay insurance premiums and suddenly say (screw) it."

Large carnivores get most of the film's attention, but it notes that Americans own everything from chimpanzees to poisonous snakes such as the deadly gabon viper. The non-profit, all-volunteer Colorado Reptile Humane Society in Longmont, which handles everything from small lizards to venomous snakes such as western diamondback rattlers, constantly battles the problem of people taking in animals they can't care for.

"Calling them exotics is funny to begin with," says associate director Jonathan Sculpin. "The only extraordinary thing is that we humans have taken them out of their natural setting. ... People put a 5-foot long snake an aquarium. But in the wild that animal has at least an acre of habitat over which it roams."

And as the film makes clear with breathless local TV stories, when wild animals behave like, well, wild animals, they tend to take the blame.

"In North America, we think the role of a tiger or a lion or a chimpanzee is to put clothes on them, to dress up a chimp in an Old Navy commercial with a spoon. But eventually, if (the chimp) tears your face, your genitalia, your hands and feet off, we say it went bad. But that is what a chimp is meant to do," Webber says, recalling a horrific 2009 incident in which a "pet" chimpanzee attacked a woman in Connecticut. News reports said neighbors were "shocked" by the animal's behavior.

An emergency room physician in the film, Dr. Roger Paholka of Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, shakes his head at the many cases he's seen of exotic pets harming people.

"We see them as safe and cuddly, as opposed to people in Africa, who see them as something that wants to eat your face," Paholka says onscreen.

But both Webber and Craig regret that public debate over the issue -- to the extent that there is any -- tends to be focused on public safety to the exclusion of the animals' welfare. The film ends with brief footage of animals rescued and released into the grasslands at the Wild Animal Sanctuary, a stark contrast to their earlier extreme confinement.
"These are non-domesticated, majestic animals," Webber says. "After the initial fascination, you become sad. Gosh, that tiger is never going to run, never hunt, and hopefully never breed. It is never going to be able to do things it was programmed and designed to do."
Story and photo Credit Here

Little Rock Zoo wants patrons to support the new Primate Bill

This is where I placed my 2 chimpanzees, Mikey and Louie.

LITTLE ROCK – Officials at the Little Rock Zoo are urging patrons to support proposed legislation that would ban private ownership of primates.

The zoo says it supports senate bill SB901 because of safety and health concerns. SB901 is scheduled to be considered by the house Public Health Committee on Thursday.

In an email, zoo director Susan Altrui says primates purchased by private citizens as pets often grow up to be adults that are difficult to control. As a result zoos are often asked to take custody of the primates, which they can't always do.

In addition, Altrui says pet primates pose a risk to public health because they can carry diseases such as Ebola and hepatitis B.

On Tuesday a group of monkey owners showed up at the State Capitol to speak out against the legislation.
Story Credit Here

Here is the Bill- (click on each page to enlarge- opens as a PDF) bill found here

How does a person know if a sanctuary is a good one or a bad one?

Hi readers!
I received a question in regards to how does one know if a sanctuary is a good or bad one. This is such an important question that I thought it deserved a separate post. I have so much information on here that sometimes it's easy to overlook the comments.

Usually "good" sanctuaries are not located in a neighborhood around people, they are usually very remote with many acres of land to give the animals plenty of space, sanction and away from people for reasons such as, but not limited to, escapes, intruders.
They are a non-profit 501(c)3 and not an exhibitor. Their sanctuary is held by a board of directors with the non-profit owning the sanctuary. The sanctuary is not privately held. According to the USDA all exhibitors must "exhibit", "exploit" their animals by allowing people to come into the facility. Real sanctuaries do not allow people to be present around the primates. Educating people on Primates does not mean that they have to visit or see them in person. That's what zoos are for.

Before they open a new sanctuary they make sure that the primates are permitted not only on a state level but city and county. They obtain all permits before accepting any primates. They don't believe in private ownership of primates.

They speak to the public about how primates should not be held in a personal way. In no way do they help pet owners of primates with care and feeding because this is NOT something that they believe in. An example of this is if someone were to contact a real sanctuary about the care of their pet primate, the sanctuary would do everything in their power to educate that person and help them find a sanctuary to place them in instead of being some one's pet.

This question is so strong that that is why PETA and other organizations send people in under cover to find out what the sanctuary is really doing and what they are all about. Most of the time when these Animal Welfare people conclude their investigation the results are that it is not a true sanctuary.

Good sanctuaries usually have at least one person that has been trained in the drugs, dosage and weight combination to be able to dart an escaped Primate. This prevents any escapes from leaving the property. It sedates the Primate so that the caretakers can contain the animal back into it's enclosure or habitat.
Volunteers at good sanctauries are usually people with allot of experience or are working on a degree, not teenagers or friends.

With the question of good for the animals...

All Primates need ample space to thrive. They need to live with troupes of monkeys not singly housed or with one other monkey. In the wild which truly is where they belong they live in troupes up to 30 monkeys. When monkeys are not housed in proper space and in troupes some of their natural behaviour does not exist.

In my opinion and with my many years of experieince I would say that there are only a handful of good true sanctauries here in the US.

3 acres of land is NOT enough to be safe for monkeys at Frisky's wildlife & Primate Sanctuary

I have underlined the parts I agree with! Once again, I knew this woman personally and know that she had baby pet monkeys to start off with. You can read the rest of the articles and my knowledge by going under the category of Monkey owners. Colleen Layton should take some of the money that she has collected with donations and sell her home and move someplace where the monkeys are allowed. OR.... find a place for them all in a real sanctaury. I am even willing to help find placement for all of them.

Colleen Layton use to allow the children to pet the monkeys. That really has to make me wonder what else she is doing that is dangerous. That is soooo dangerous and not a sanctury at all! These are suppose to be sanctioned monkeys, which means no one is to bother them in any way except for the care of them.

Story;
Three acres of land in a residential area is the wrong place for monkeys, opponents of Frisky’s Wildlife and Primate Sanctuary in Woodstock said Thursday at the latest Board of Appeals hearing.

I think it’s the wrong place for the wrong activity,” said Bob Lucido, whose home at 1884 Woodstock Road borders Frisky’s property. “It’s problematic just being there in a residential neighborhood.”

The hearing was the sixth held since August in what has been a long-running battle over whether Frisky’s should be able to keep its monkeys. The next Board of Appeals hearing is scheduled for May 26.

Elkridge resident Dale Schumacher, who has followed the case for years, said he sees Frisky’s as “burdensome” to its neighbors, especially as new homes are built in the area.

“At the same time, I recognize that the wildlife and primate sanctuary serves a local good and some accommodation should be provided,” he said.

Schumacher suggested that the numerous Frisky’s supporters get together and help find the sanctuary a larger, more suitable site.

Lucido agreed that Frisky’s, which moved to Woodstock after he bought his property, belongs in a different location.

“I just wish that somebody would stand up and say, ‘We’re going to do the right thing,’ ” he said. “And I think the right thing is to relocate this sanctuary where it belongs, which is on 20 or 30 acres.”


A real estate agent, Lucido even offered to help Frisky’s find a new site, commission-free.

Like other opponents, Lucido is concerned that the monkeys at Frisky’s are dangerous. Unlike the other opponents, he said he feels that Frisky’s owner Colleen Layton “does an extraordinary job” and that he is only “mildly concerned” about his safety with her running the facility.

“There’s always the chance of an animal getting out,” he said. “I’m deathly concerned about when Colleen’s not there.”

Board of Appeals member Henry Eigles said he, too, was concerned about Frisky’s future if Layton were no longer there.

Eigles asked if he would be satisfied if the board approved Frisky’s operation only as long as Layton was in charge.

Lucido said he would be comfortable with that but questioned whether the board could do that, but Eigles said the board has authority to add limitations when it grants zoning exceptions.

Schumacher also talked about the chance of a monkey escaping, calling it a “black swan” event, which is “high impact, very rare (and) hard to predict.”

Board member James Howard said people can be subject to other rare and dangerous events, such as being struck by lightning, to Schumacher responded that unlike in the Frisky’s situation, those risks are uncontrollable.
“Why would an individual move there if they were going to subject themselves to that risk?” board member Maurice Simpkins then asked.

“I’m not sure why they would,” Schumacher said.

The only other opponent to testify at the nearly four-hour hearing was Julianne Tuttle, whose testimony will continue at the next hearing. Tuttle and her husband Richard Wyckoff, who live next door to Frisky’s and share a driveway with the sanctuary, are the primary opponents in the case.

“I’m bothered because the oversight is weak and also because of all the unknowns with exotic animals,” Tuttle said during her testimony.

It was easy for Frisky’s to get its U. S. Department of Agriculture license, she said, as the department’s regulations on exotic animals are “pretty narrow.”

“There’s nothing on public safety” in the regulations, Tuttle noted. “The USDA license is a rather low bar.”

She said she thinks Frisky’s needs to be accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, an organization that has specific standards for how animal sanctuaries should operate.

“Accredited sanctuaries usually have group housing,” Tuttle gave as an example. “ Frisky’s has mostly single cages.”

Tuttle also talked about Frisky’s rule that visitors must stay at least two feet away from the monkeys at all times. She said the rule was not initiated until she and her husband disclosed evidence during proceedings on the case nine years ago that Frisky’s allowed kids to pet the monkeys.

“The two-foot rule is an excellent idea,” Tuttle said. “But it makes me wonder if there are other unsafe practices that we haven’t discovered and brought out into the public.”
Story Credit Here

Pet monkey owners monkey escapes for 3 days

What's wrong with this photo?

• A private person owning monkeys
• Monkeys outside with no lease or anything on can easily take off just as one did going to the vets office
• Does this woman have a permit? Experience? Education on Primates?

Ok, this woman feels as though it's ok to have monkeys on her shoulder having no control over them OUTSIDE, but yet the cage is "opened" and the monkey escapes at the vets office. First off, monkeys should not be pets. Second, why would you put a monkey in a cage that you have not checked and double checked the lock on that cage. This monkey took off for 3 days once he/she escaped the cage then what makes this woman think that having them outside on her shoulder they won't do the same?
Story;
AMELIA, OH (FOX19) - A Clermont County woman is very relieved now that she knows her capuchin monkey named Figaro is safe after his three day adventure alone.

Alison Rost was unloading her 7-year-old monkey at the Clermont Animal Hospital Monday to be neutered when he became frightened and his cage opened and he took off for the trees.

She had had reports Wednesday that he was near Amelia High School, and made plans to look for him Thursday morning, which she did. Within hours, she found him and was able to take him back home.

Rost says the monkey never leaves her farm except to go to the vet, and says he is scared of people besides her, never having met many people.

The last sighting, before Figaro was found, was about a mile or mile and a half south of where he escaped.

She says Figaro is primarily a fruit-eating animal, but will dig under tree bark for insects or even catch animals as large as mice. She says capuchins are South American monkeys. She says the monkeys tend to stay 8-12 feet above the ground in trees, but they are happy to climb higher for food, or come down to the ground if they have someplace to go.
Story and Photo credit here

WSLS's made a huge mistake!!!!!!!

Gosh WSLS your suppose to know about information you are reporting on. Haven't you learned anything when it comes to helping exploit Primates? You people will do anything to draw attention to yourselves, regardless of the outcome of the victim (monkey) in this case. Just take a look at this blog and get some education! There's nothing at all cute about ripping a screaming baby off of it's mother and then being forced to wear clothes and diapers and being smoothered inside a womans bra. Thats just disgusting, to say the least.
Thank you viewer for taking the time to care about the primates. Kudos to you!

Story'
One viewer has a suggestion to improve our 7pm newscast, calling to say, “It is very annoying and it is really hard to understand what the newscasters are saying when they have that music going constantly in the background. You need to leave it because the newscast is fine without it.”

A baby Marmoset had a lot of us in the newsroom and you and home saying, “Ahhhhh.” But, Rob Wilson had a different take.
Wilson wrote, “I am writing to register my dismay with the ‘cute, little monkey’ story you aired. The little monkey is indeed cute -- but it should never be in that woman's bra in the first place. Baby monkeys belong with their marmoset mothers, preferably in the jungle. It is delusional thinking for a human to call herself a "monkey mother" because the baby never saw the inside of her uterus. Please, please exercise some journalistic integrity when you report this sort of story.”

WSLS responds: Thanks for the email. We aired this story because the woman was initially removed from a local courthouse for bringing the monkey into the building with her. That first story generated a lot of viewer interest and we followed up the next day with a human interest story on the monkey and its owner. That wasn't all we covered that day.
Story Credit Here

Another Pet Monkey Escapes

Does this mean that the monkey was loose in the house? I hope not!

Story;
One woman found a surprise hanging in her backyard tonight - a small monkey sitting about 30 feet up in a tree.

Police found the owner of the monkey and she was able to coax him down from the tree and into her cage. She says the monkey is 46-years-old and weighs 4 pounds. Her name is "Delliah".
The owner says when her house was broken into, the monkey had escaped. She does have a license for the monkey and had posted bulletins in the neighborhood. The owner describes Delliah as no danger to anyone that would have come into contact with her.
Story Credit Here

Pet Macaque monkey bites 10 year old

FORT MADISON, IA -- Lee County Sheriff Jim Scholl says a 10-year-old child was taken to Fort Madison Hospital for a cat bite, but hospital personnel eventually learned the child was bitten by a pet macaque monkey.

Scholl says his investigation into the matter is closed, but he is trying to determine if ownership of the animal is legal.

Both the Iowa Department of Public Health and Iowa Department of Agriculture are aware of the incident, but could not comment on specific cases.

Dustin Vandehoef of the Iowa Department of Agriculture says as of 2007, state law requires all "wild or exotic" animals owned as pets be registered and micro-chipped.

KHQA has requested a list of wild or exotic animals registered in the state.

Scholl says a younger child provoked the monkey, and the bite occured when the 10-year-old tried to intervene.

The incident happened during the week of March 2, 2011.
Story Credit Here

Woman brings baby monkey into courthouse in her bra and they let her go?

How stupid is this woman? Bringing a primate into court? That monkey is NOT your daughter she is the daughter of the monkey that was not permitted to raise her own Daughter because you wanted to show off having a monkey. SHAME ON YOU. I hope the authorties find you and take that baby away and put her with her own kind.
With a courthouse there are many police officers all of the time, why did they allow her to leave before they found out if she had the proper licenses and permits and the monkey was allowed in the state and the county. I have to wonder where people minds are.

Story;
Authorities said a woman entered the Amherst County courthouse this morning with a tiny monkey tucked into her bra, dressed in diapers and a white dress with pink flowers.

The woman was not identified, but officials confirmed the incident — from Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephanie Maddox to deputies who were working in the courthouse.

“You couldn’t make up something like this,” Maddox said.

The woman had arrived for a hearing in Juvenile and Domestic Relations court, officials said.

They had no idea that she had the monkey — a female named “Kara” — until she went into an office to fill out routine, court-related paperwork.

When the woman referred to a daughter, a puzzled official asked where the daughter was. That’s when she pulled the monkey, only inches tall, out of her bra.

She referred to it as “her daughter,” said she had purchased it on eBay and that she had the creature’s clothes specially made in West Virginia.

Court officials were stunned when tiny Kara moved her head, waving a hand and began gnawing on the dress.

One official asked why the woman had the monkey in her bra and quoted her as saying, “Well, would you leave your child at home? She has to be close to me.”

Asked who let the monkey through the metal detector, a deputy quipped: “It wasn’t armed.”
Story Credit Here

Dexter a 21 YO Capuchin Monkey dies after escape... so sad

BELLEVIEW — Whenever the Ferson family went to the movies, they had to bring back a bag of popcorn for Dexter, a 21-year-old Capuchin monkey. Dexter was a popular attraction in the neighborhood where he lived.

He also was an escape artist.

On Tuesday, the monkey somehow escaped his cage and traveled into a fenced yard, where he died following an encounter with a Rottweiler.

The monkey, which weighed between 10 and 15 pounds and stood about 26 inches tall, had escaped twice before. Three times, someone damaged his 6 ½- foot tall by 12-foot wide wooden cage, which had bars around it and fencing.

Shortly before 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dale Ferson came home and noticed the monkey's cage was open and Dexter was missing. The padlock used to lock the cage door also was missing.

"We're having a hard time with his loss," Ferson said.

Ferson said Dexter came to their family when he was 17 weeks old, on Christmas Eve in 1989. The 59-year-old man said Dexter, who had been abused, was a gift for his wife.

At the time, the family was living in south Florida. They moved to Belleview in November 1995.

While he was with them, Ferson said, Dexter was part of the family and grew up with his five children and 10 grandchildren.

Ferson said the monkey loved finding a sharp object to put in the lock on his cage in an attempt to open it.
"It was a fun thing for him to do," Ferson said.

The same deputy who responded to Tuesday's incident noted in his report that two years ago he worked a similar call involving Dexter's escape, and it was determined then that the animal had gone through a hole at the back of the cage.

While investigating Tuesday, Dexter was seen not far away. Rushing to the area, Ferson, the deputy and several neighbors saw the monkey on top of a roof. Several attempts to lure him to the ground failed, and he ran off.

"He's hard to catch because he's so fast," Ferson said.

Ferson told the deputy that Dexter normally would return home at nightfall.

Roughly a half hour after everyone had left the scene, Ferson called the deputy to tell him that Dexter had been captured by a Rottweiler and was killed.

The dog was inside a 6-foot privacy fence.

Ferson said Dexter was cremated and his remains will be placed on top of the fireplace, next to his favorite stuffed animal, a monkey.
Story credit and photo here

Monkey pet owner, Colleen Layton Robbins wants to keep her 23 monkeys at her house

Well, this is a place that I know very well, have visited there and made many donations UNTIL.... I found out that Colleen Layton is not who she says she is. She started out as strictly a Wildlife sanctuary and then she took it upon herself to start with a pet monkey, a few weeks old who performed for her and from there the monkeys have multiplied. She was told years ago to get rid of the monkeys they were not allowed there, but she refused to do so. Why is Colleen Layton excused from falling the law?

When the neighbors moved in they didn't have any monkeys so it's not as though they "KNEW" there were dangerous animals living right next door.

Colleen Layton says she has cameras everywhere. Does she have them in the neighborhood for when one of the monkeys escapes? I doubt it. It's not will one of them escape it's when they will escape. Lets just say that in the evening teenagers think it would be cool to go in and see the monkeys. They approach one of the cages (because some don't have a perimeter fence around them, and even if they did they could certainly climb it), and one gets attacked through the cage? How good are the cameras then? People do invade on others properties as in a recent case where the father lifted his little boy over a fence to see the monkeys and he was seriously hurt. The law is actually thinking about pressing charges against the father.

Collen Layton says that all of the weight for the monkeys combined is 263 lbs. That just goes to show how little Colleen knows. It is NOT the weight of a monkey that is dangerous, it is their ability to attack. They are fast, they jump far, they are small, they have long canine teeth and it is their normal behaviour to attack when they feel threatened.  A Threat to a monkey can be as simple as someone walking by and the monkey gets afraid. I use to volunteer for a small zoo and because of some of the set ups on the cages, I had to go in with them to feed and clean. I never had any problems until one day. One day when a capuchin monkey decided I was a threat. The monkey jumped about 15 feet onto my shoulder and grabbed a hold of my ear and wouldn't let go. I grabbed the monkey by the head and ripped him off of me and threw him on the floor. I ran out as fast as I could. This monkey had ripped the top part of my ear in half!!!!!! In a matter of minutes and I do know monkey behaviour. What if one of Colleens monkeys get out and approachs someone that knows nothing at all about monkeys? They don't just bite one time and leave, they are rapid biters, they will bit over and over again. I had 15 years with monkeys and this is their normal behaviour.

Colleen Layton also says that they will be put down if they have to leave. THAT IS SUCH A LIE!!!!!! There are sanctuaries that have room and would be more than glad to take them in. I would be willing to take on the job of finding homes for them, that's how sure I am.  Colleen is playing on the heartstrings of animal lovers. She is not what she says she is and she has no business having primates where primates are not allowed to be, PERIOD. Why shouldn't she have to abide by the same laws as everyone else?????

Before you read the article on Colleen Layton I found an article that came out today about what I was saying about escapes. This monkey was 21 years old and had been living with these people for the 21 years. I bet the owners never expected this monkey to get out. No humans were hurt, but the monkey died. Shame on people for having them in the first place!

I had a monkey that I use to give magazines to because she loved to look at the photos. This one time I missed a staple in the magazine. I noticed later on that she was playing with her padlock. I went over to see what she was doing and she had pulled the staple out of the magazine and had it in the lock trying to pick the lock. Monkeys are very smart and when they are locked up in jail all they think about is getting out. Every time I went in and out of my chimps cage Mikey would pull on all three locks on the door to check and see if I had forgotten one. We are humans, we make mistakes, though when we make a mistake with a primates cage trouble only follows...

BELLEVIEW — Whenever the Ferson family went to the movies, they had to bring back a bag of popcorn for Dexter, a 21-year-old Capuchin monkey.

Dexter is shown with family friend Ashley Karzmarsky in this family snapshot. (Submitted photo) Dexter was a popular attraction in the neighborhood where he lived.

He also was an escape artist.

On Tuesday, the monkey somehow escaped his cage and traveled into a fenced yard, where he died following an encounter with a Rottweiler.

The monkey, which weighed between 10 and 15 pounds and stood about 26 inches tall, had escaped twice before. Three times, someone damaged his 6 ½- foot tall by 12-foot wide wooden cage, which had bars around it and fencing.

Shortly before 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dale Ferson came home and noticed the monkey's cage was open and Dexter was missing. The padlock used to lock the cage door also was missing.

"We're having a hard time with his loss," Ferson said.

Ferson said Dexter came to their family when he was 17 weeks old, on Christmas Eve in 1989. The 59-year-old man said Dexter, who had been abused, was a gift for his wife.

At the time, the family was living in south Florida. They moved to Belleview in November 1995.

While he was with them, Ferson said, Dexter was part of the family and grew up with his five children and 10 grandchildren.

Ferson said the monkey loved finding a sharp object to put in the lock on his cage in an attempt to open it.

"It was a fun thing for him to do," Ferson said.

The same deputy who responded to Tuesday's incident noted in his report that two years ago he worked a similar call involving Dexter's escape, and it was determined then that the animal had gone through a hole at the back of the cage.

While investigating Tuesday, Dexter was seen not far away. Rushing to the area, Ferson, the deputy and several neighbors saw the monkey on top of a roof. Several attempts to lure him to the ground failed, and he ran off.

"He's hard to catch because he's so fast," Ferson said.

Ferson told the deputy that Dexter normally would return home at nightfall.

Roughly a half hour after everyone had left the scene, Ferson called the deputy to tell him that Dexter had been captured by a Rottweiler and was killed.

The dog was inside a 6-foot privacy fence.

Ferson said Dexter was cremated and his remains will be placed on top of the fireplace, next to his favorite stuffed animal, a monkey.


Colleens Story;
Jamie, the so-called barroom-brawling monkey of Glen Burnie, seems pretty mellow now. As he munches popcorn in his enclosure at Frisky's Wildlife & Primate Sanctuary in Howard County there's no sign of the agitated bonnet macaque who made headlines in 1999.

Back then, Jamie used to be taken all sorts of places by his owner, a used car dealer who would often encourage people to touch his monkey. When Jamie scratched a waitress at the Speak Easy Inn in Glen Burnie, all hell broke loose, with customers throwing punches left and right. Animal control confiscated Jamie and placed him at Frisky's, a refuge in Woodstock run by Colleen Layton-Robbins. He's been there ever since.

"Jamie doesn't like when people laugh at him," reads the little bio of the monkey on the Frisky's Web site.
No one does, Jamie. No one does.

Every animal at Frisky's has a story. "Izzy was the product of a lesbian divorce," Colleen says of a white-faced capuchin monkey named Isadora. Oogie, another capuchin, used to belong to a dentist. That was until the dentist's wife said, "That monkey's not going to ruin another Christmas." Kiko, a rhesus macaque, was given up by his human family in Iowa after he started biting people. His former owner visits Frisky's annually, sleeping on a cot across from Kiko's cage.

Colleen has taken in primates from across the country. She has 23 in her house and in enclosures across her three-acre property.

It's not just monkeys. There's a bald eagle that's recuperating after someone shot it. ("He was a pile of wet feathers when he came in," Colleen says.) In the rabbit room are a clutch of baby bunnies, rescued from a hoarding situation. There are pygmy goats, minks, chinchilla, parrots, squirrels, all tended by Colleen and an army of volunteers.

Frisky's doesn't happen to have any alligators, but the toothy reptiles come through the door periodically, usually confiscated during drug busts. "They're small alligators, but they're alligators," says Colleen, 56. "Talk about some spunky attitude."

When Colleen moved here 20 years ago, she was pretty much surrounded by farmland. "They said they weren't going to develop," she says. Today, parts of the new Preserve at Waverly Glen subdivision back up to Frisky's. Peer over the fence near the coatimundis (a sort of South American raccoon) and you can look into the back yards of $1 million homes.

And on the other side of Frisky's live Julianne and Richard Wyckoff. They've been waging a battle against Colleen since they moved in12 years ago. Julianne says that when she and her husband bought their house, they didn't know how diverse the wildlife in and around their neighbor's home was. "I thought she was a housewife who had some animals, some cats and llamas," Julianne says.

Monkeys, say the Wyckoffs, especially macaques, are prone to herpes B, a disease that can be fatal in humans. "I have a daughter who wants to be out roller skating and bike riding," Julianne said. "I let her do that, but I worry all the time. I say, 'If you see anything, you run to the house.' "
Colleen says the animals are healthy. Her enclosures are double-locked, and 27 closed-circuit TV cameras are trained on the property. Besides, she says, the combined weight of all her monkeys is just 263 pounds, hardly a threat.

The fight over Frisky's has dragged on in zoning hearings and courtrooms and even reached Maryland's highest court - which sent it back to the county. Years ago Colleen was successful in her request for a zoning exception allowing her property to be a sanctuary for squirrels, bunnies, goats, hawks and the like. The sticking point is the exotic animals. There's a hearing Thursday before the county's Board of Appeals and another March 24. At issue is whether she can keep the monkeys.
"Really, they don't belong on this property," Julianne says. "Zoning laws are there for a reason."

Colleen says she thinks she's there for a reason, too: to care for animals that haven't gotten a fair shake. "I'm not the problem," Colleen says. "I'm the solution." The solution to abandoned, unwanted or neglected animals.

Jamie, the barroom-brawling monkey of Glen Burnie, is content to sit this fight out. As with pretty much everything else in his life, the humans will decide what happens next.
Story credit here

4 monkeys taken from woman in Florida because Monkeys are NOT service animals

NEW ORLEANS - State wildlife officials confiscated four monkeys from an autistic woman from Florida last weekend on Bourbon Street.

64-year-old Joan Newberger said the monkeys were confiscated illegally, because they’re her “service monkeys.” But the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries categorizes them as illegally-owned primates, saying they don't believe the monkeys meet the definition of service animals that’s spelled out in the Americans with Disabilities Act.

You see all kinds of things on Bourbon Street during Carnival, including drag queens in costume, but what you don't typically see is a woman in a pirate costume with four live monkeys, also dressed in pirate costumes.

“We were dressing up for the Mardi Gras and we dress up as pirates,” said James Poole, caretaker for Newberger.
Poole said letters show doctors in Texas and in Florida have diagnosed Newberger with a form of autism, and for years, she's traveled everywhere with the four monkeys.

Newberger said they're registered with a group in Texas as her service monkeys, like a seeing eye dog, only they help her with other tasks, like bathing.

“I can't vacuum. I can't be in water. I don't, none of that. My feet are real itchy now. My, everything bothering me,” Newberger said.

She said she’s reacting to not having her service monkeys, that according to Poole, calm her down. The two said wildlife agents and police didn’t tell her she couldn’t have the monkeys in the French Quarter until the moment they seized them.

“They didn't give us no warning. They say look you need this paperwork, I'd say, fine.I'll go get it. We don't have a problem with it,” Newberger said.

But wildlife officials tell a different story.

“What we found was a couple that was, I don't know what you would call them, street vendors, street performers, they were in costume with four monkeys. The monkeys were in costume,” said Maria Davidson, Large Carnivore Program Manager for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

Wildlife officials said they received complaints that Joan and her caretaker were here on Bourbon Street taking money for pictures with the monkeys.
Joan responded, “I'm walking and everybody like, oh, I want picture! I want picture! And we can't go anywhere. They don't let us move. They keep us in one spot for an hour. So, I said, oh pictures, two dollars just to get rid of them. Most people go what and they'll walk away.”

But according to Wildlife and Fisheries, possession of any non-human primates has been illegal in Louisiana since 2006. “We were told they were service animals because the animals provided emotional support and comfort. By its ADA definition, that does not meet the service animal definition,” Davidson said.
Newberger and Poole said the monkeys were trained to help her before she got them.
“It's not easy to train for my disability,” said Newberger.

But wildlife agents confiscated the monkeys anyway, and wrote Newberger and Poole citations.

“This isn't some wild animal that we snatched out of the swamp in New Orleans and we’re running around making money on it. She's had these marmosets for going on six years now. The pates [monkey] she's had for going on four years,” Poole said.
Wildlife agents said it’s up to the Orleans Parish Municipal Court to decide if Newberger can get her monkeys back. But Newberger's court date isn't until early July, and she's already been to the emergency room once to get help calming down.

In the meantime, the monkeys are in zoological care. According to Wildlife and Fisheries, the monkeys had a diaper rash and diarrhea when they first confiscated them because of only drinking fruit juice and eating baby food, what they describe as an improper diet.
“They should be eating solid food, fruits and vegetables,” Davidson said, and drinking water.

It’s something Newberger denies, saying the monkeys didn’t have diarrhea, and that she’s concerned the separation may be causing them to go into shock.
Story Credit, photos and video here

Helping Hands Monkey Fullfills a Young man's life

CONCORD (CBS) — “As long as he had a ball and bat in his hand he was a happy kid.” Ellen Rogers talks about her son Ned Sullivan, who five years ago was just like any other college senior.

But that’s when life, just stopped.
“It’s that call every parent dreads,” recalls Ellen.

Ned had a seizure behind the wheel and crashed into a brick wall and broke his neck. He was paralyzed from the neck down. He spent a long year in the hospital getting better, but when he got home, he got worse.

Ned says, “I always felt alone and stuck and depressed.”

But then his sister was invited to a school assembly and the topic? Helping Hands Helper Monkeys. The organization helps people with spinal cord injuries by giving them monkey to help with everyday tasks.
Story Credit Here and Video
To learn more about Helping Hands Here

Out of 2 Sanctuaries and a few zoos in MD, Judie Harrison was called to help a baby monkey be found

Hello Readers. For the past week I have been doing research on a place called Frisky's wildlife and Primate Sanctuary. I am trying to put all of the facts out there that I have found that seem to be different that what frisky's would like you to think. I posted this article, although very old. This article makes me wonder why the TV station called me and asked me to drive an hour to speak on behave of this missing monkey instead of Colleen Layton at Frisky's. This may have something to do with experience, knowledge and the willingness to help a monkey instead of trying to get the monkey to my place.

Story;
Owner, Monkey Expert Worry Animal Will Become Dangerous


POSTED: 10:01 pm EST February 2, 2005

sanctuaries
UPDATED: 1:37 pm EST February 3, 2005


GLEN BURNIE, Md. -- Police are searching for the person who broke into a Glen Burnie home and stole a baby monkey.

MISSING: Janey, 8 months old

Authorities are worried, not only for the animal's owners, but for the monkey's delicate health, WBAL-TV 11 News reporter Lowell Melser reported.

Anne Arundel County police are investigating a unique kidnapping in which someone got away with an 8-month-old monkey.

Michelle Howard is the owner of Nicky, 8, and 8-month-old Janey, both capuchin monkeys.

Lowell Melser Reports: Family Offers Reward For Missing Monkey

"They're pets, but they're kind of more like my children than pets, honestly," Howard said.

Police said somebody threw a cinderblock through a door of Howard's house and stole Janey and her cage sometime Wednesday afternoon.

"I really think it's somebody who's always wanted a monkey and couldn't afford one because they are very expensive," Howard said.

Besides their price -- a hefty $6,000 to $7,000 each -- the monkeys have very particular eating habits.

"She eats three to four times a day, [sometimes] nonstop. First thing in the morning, she's eating. She forages all day, and I'm just afraid whoever's taken her is not going to give her the proper care she needs," Howard


Michelle Howard owns the monkeys, and worries about the care for the missing 8-month-old.

Judie Harrison is the founder of one of Maryland's few monkey rescue programs.

"I feel bad for the monkey most of all because the monkey is who is gonna suffer," Harrison said.

She said capuchin monkeys can be very unpredictable, and when placed in the wrong hands, they can be a danger to themselves and their handlers.

"I fear for the people that have the little monkey because they don't know what they're getting themselves into," Harrison said.

"I'm just hoping that we'll find her, that's why I keep saying, 'We'll find her, we'll find her,'" Howard said.
The family is offering a $1,000 reward, Melser reported.
Story Credit Here and photos

Video of the news report and heading
"An expert on monkeys said capuchin monkeys can be very unpredictable, and when placed in the wrong hands, they can be a danger to themselves and their handlers."
That would be me

Things just aren't right at the Frisky's wildlife and Primate Sanctuary-Colleen Layton

Hi Readers;
I was directed to this link through an anon comment. Before you watch this video I would like to point out some things that I don't think that sound right.
These are all comments that Colleen Layton of Frisky's wildlife and Primate Sanctuary (?) has said.

• Colleen says that zoos will not take ex pet monkeys. Oh how untrue that is. PPI located in Texas has over 100 primates which 90% of them were ex pets. I know because I did volunteer work for them and meet and heard their stories. You can read about PPI here. I actually placed one of my monkeys there that had been a pet and he is paired up with a wonderful little female and they are so happy together. I support this little monkey by donatingg 150.00 per month for his care and food. I also donated 2 fairly new golf carts to help the caretakers out with the many acres they have to cover in a day. PPI is filled with trees, wildlife, big cages, lots of enrichment and wonderful weather all year long. Also, I placed my 2 chimpanzees a few years ago at the Little Rock Zoo, see here. So saying that the monkeys there would be euthanized is a big fat lie, unless Colleen does it on her own. There are a lot of Monkey sanctuaries out there that are allowed to be there, have the proper permits and licenses and are willing and able to take in the monkeys there at her place. Sounds like she is playing on the hearts of animal lovers, but it doesn't fool me. I would be willing to find placement of every single monkey she has. I know of a few good sanctuaries that still have open cages.
• I saw Colleen throwing grapes into the cage and calling it enrichment. That isn't enrichment, that's feeding and being lazy about it and calling it enrichment. Enrichment is things such as, but not limited to; take an empty roll of toilet paper, put nuts or whatever is healthy for the monkey, take paper towels and stuff it in the tube and hide them in the cage. This way the monkey "REALLY" has to look for them and then once they get them they have to open it up and get their goodies. Gosh I never ever considered throwing food into a cage as enrichment. Please.
• They are saying on this video that colleen has all of these monkeys in her home. Well the last time I was there, her home in which she lives in was to the right of the sanctuary. The sanctuary is a separate building, not her home. They are trying to make it look like a fluff story and that Colleen has given up her home for these monkeys which isn't true.
• Colleen also says that she helped her neighbors move in. The only thing that I have heard is that she brought over a welcome basket for them.
• Colleen stats that she has triple locks on the cages and hinges. You can see by some of the recent photos of her place that some of the rows of caging don't have any type of fencing to protect someone from approaching one of the cages. Some of the rows have a small fence, low enough for even a child to climb. So let's say a child gets onto her property and starts wandering around, see's the monkeys, knows no better and reaches out for them. Monkeys are capable and will defend their territory (cage), so the child is going to get bit, scratched, pulled closer to the cage or all 3. Then how good are those locks? It wouldn't matter if you had 15 locks on each cage.
• Colleen also stats that she does wildlife rehabilitation. Well my dear Colleen monkeys are NOT wildlife. They have their own classification which is "EXOTIC" which does not fall under wildlife. Gee if it did, we would have monkeys living in our trees here in the US. I noticed one of the neighbors said she would buy someone elses house. Well, are you going to buy every single house where the people are unhappy about the monkeys? That's the most ridiculous thing I have heard. I think that woman needs to read about how Colleen had at least one pet monkey. She would dress him, take him out into public, and so forth. (you can read that article under sanctuaries here on this blog) then perhaps she would see what is really going on there.

Too many things are so wrong with this! I can't even imagine that 23 primates were taken from pet owners and given to frisky's just in MD! If this sanctaury was all that good, then why wasn't armini the baby monkey placed there with her? I got a call to take him and I said NO. Baby monkeys are way to much work, they require alot of interaction because if they were with their mother they would be on the go all of the time. Gosh I hate it when people try to keep exotic animals under false pretenses. It's not fair to the primates and they could certainly have a better life in a good, real sanctuary in large cages, fresh air, nice weather and not have to worry about being friendly towards their caretaker.

When I had primates I said who I rescued and who I bought, never lied about what I did with working the ones I could and leaving the rescued ones alone. My first monkey was Reggie. I got a call  from a friend saying that a man was caught beating the monkey in his back yard and the man said that if someone didn't buy him he was going to set him free. My husband and I drove about 3 hours with our friends and met the guy and the monkey. My husband looked into the tiny little carrier and the monkey reached his hand out and punched him right in the eye. After getting him back we noticed he didn't have a single tooth in his mouth, he was etremely skinny and mean. The end of this story is, we finally got him  in with a female and the 2 of them had 3 large cages that linked together with  cage tunnels. So my first monkey was not a baby, no a pet but a rescue.

I also wanted to note that my last visit there when you walk into the door of the sanctuary(?) (NOT HER HOME) there is a black and white capuchin monkey that is an adult and is being held in a BIRD CAGE!!!!!! What kind of sanctuary would restrict the movement and space a monkey needs and put them in a bird cage for god sakes. That alone to me should NOT be allowed! In the wild which is their natural behaviour they would travel miles just in one day, so how is that monkey and the others mental health being locked up in a tiny little cage?


 There was no lock down on the cage and I was told by Colleen not to approach the cage because she was mean and would bite me. Then how does the inside of the cage get cleaned? She can't handle the monkey, it has no lock down so how? If she would to open the cage door, I know from experience that monkey will be out!!!!!! Does she roll the cage outside and hose it down with the monkey in it? There were also other smaller monkeys to the right also held in the same fashion and in the same room as birds. Does she have a quarantine cage for the new monkeys she takes in? A quarantine cage means that the new monkey has to be in there for 30 days and can't be breathing the same air as everyone else. So that would mean they would have to be in a completely different building. 

Video Link here

Colleen Layton of Frisky's wildlife started out having a pet monkey

Well readers, like I said before, everyone has skeletons in their closets. This woman Colleen Layton shows herself as a sanctuary, however you can see in this article that that is not how she started out. She bought a baby monkey and says it was rejected by it's mother. Don't they all say that? Gosh if that were really true then the monkeys in the wild would be extinct. Gosh who would be there to raise all of their neglected monkeys.

Notice how she mentions changing his diapers, he's loose in the house and turns the TV off, and she even brought him out into the public to take Karate Lessons with his own outfit?  OH COME ON!!!!.  Colleen Layton also says that when buying a monkey "Lack of knowledge by the buyer". What kind of knowledge did Colleen have? What type of experience did she have to qualify herself as being able to have a baby pet monkey? She also states that "Very few people should own a monkey". This I agree with her on except she shouldn't have had them either!!!!! Another comment she made was "monkeys don't belong in cages" um.... aren't all of her monkeys in cages? She also took her pet monkey to work, to the food store and the feed store. Sounds like a pet to me, doesn't sound like a sanctuary monkey to me. No REAL sanctuary would ever ever take a monkey out of a cage unless they were sedated and going in for medical treatment or a transfer. Soooooo many lies. And to bring a monkey to a regular DR? They don't know anything about monkeys for god sake!!!! And what Dr. in his right mind would allow a monkey into his examine room, where humans go?

The Simian Society which Colleen belonged to is for monkey pet owners. They promote responsible monkey care. There is no responsible monkey care when people own them!!! You can check them out here So this is NOTHIING to be proud of when you are suppose to be a "SANCTUARY"

So Colleen and Volunteers, perhaps this so called sanctuary is a cover up for her loving baby monkeys. This is why I say check out the sanctuaries, don't always believe what they say.

I received a comment, which I didn't feel as though it needed posting that she has awards up on her walls. You know people, you can make them in about 2 minutes on your computer and no one would know the difference. It's a nice show piece.

This is the monkey I was talking about how he ripped his stomach open after Colleen made him do a little circus act. This was told to me by Colleen Layton.

Also notice she says the raccoons are licensed but in another article on this blog (under monkey owners or sanctuaries), the DNR came and took them away.

Too many differences for me......
Isn't it funny how monkey pet owners can't resist showing them off to the public. NOT!
BTW for the person that asked where they could find the information about the alleged bite of colleens monkey in a dept store, I am still trying to verify that. Keep checking back.

When I use to work with the monkeys and Chimps I never lied about them, never said they were rejected and took in ones that I had room for. Now I speak for the Primates since I have placed my Primates years ago after knowing what I did was wrong. Why can't people just be honest with themselves and others? Why try to be someone or something you are not? I made things right for my Primates and now I try to help others.

Story;
November 06, 1991

By Ellen Hawks
Ellen Hawks,Evening Sun StaffNO MATTER what his surrogate mother wants, Gizmo, a 2-year-old Rhesus monkey, has established his own routine.

''I could run a clock by him,'' says Colleen Layton, who adopted the monkey when he was 3 weeks old.

''At 10 every evening, he notifies me that 'we' are going to bed by turning off the TV, even though he loves it, and the lights. If I'm writing he takes my pen.

''I comply. I clean him up, change his diaper -- he won't wear one that is soiled -- and I get his bottle of Similac.

''After a good burp he grabs his teddy bear and we go to bed and he snuggles up. In the morning we have a cereal breakfast and he gets a children's Flintstone vitamin. He also has fruits and vegetables -- no red meats,'' says mother Layton, who operates a small wildlife farm in Howard County where she rehabilitates wildlife orphans. Most of her charges are animals indigenous to the area, including a black bear cub.

Gizmo came to Layton from friends in Cincinnati who owned his mother. The mother had rejected Gizmo. ''She wouldn't feed him and just banged him on the head all the time. So, I drove up and got him. We bonded on the way home and now he's my constant companion,'' says Layton, who went through the proper legal procedure to own him.
''I am licensed to have wildlife by the federal Fish and Wildlife Department, but with Gizmo I had to have a special inspection of home and cage. He has a very large cage, 24-by-12 feet and 8 feet high with a tunnel above ground from the cage to my cabin -- but he seldom uses it,'' she says.

Every Wednesday, Layton, her son Ricky and Gizmo all take karate lessons at the Wozin DoJo Karate School in Laurel.

''Gizmo loves it," she says. "He has a suit to wear, but it took him eight hours to learn how to do a karate bow on command. You know the bow where you put your hands on the top of your thighs and bend forward keeping your eyes on your opponent?''

At her farm, which she calls Frisky's, Layton has 15 raccoons who are also licensed. Most of them are babies of raccoons she brought from Washington State many years ago. ''That was long before we had a rabies crisis here and now I wouldn't let these go because of the rabies scare. My oldest is 13 years old,'' she says.

pTC Layton, whose father is an American Indian and mother is Irish, says she abhors trapping of animals. ''About 30 years ago, when we lived in Washington State, my father trapped raccoons and if there were signs of babies I'd find and save them.

Gizmo, according to Layton, could live as long as 30 to 50 years and will grow to the size of a 5- or 6-year-old child. Layton dresses him according to the weather, just as she would any child -- Gizmo's temperature is only about one degree above a human's temperature, she says.

Gizmo is taken to a regular physician rather than a veterinarian. ''I take him after hours to a health clinic for his booster shots and health exams," Layton says. "Every disease a man can get so can a monkey. He has all of his inoculations and a perfect health certificate.''
She adds that Gizmo is her constant companion. She takes him ''to the grocery and feed stores, we work outside and I've learned to clean cages, dip the dogs and much more with him under my jacket or on my arm.''

He also goes with her on her job. Layton makes videos for people of household inventories, family histories or with their pets, anything a person may want to keep as a video record.

In their travels, Gizmo is literally tied to her. ''I lock him to me,'' she explains, ''by securing a leash around my waist and his waist. It secures him to me should some unexplained disturbance frighten him.

''Taking him with me is not for attention, he's just bonded to me. I get disturbed over questions such as, 'is that a live monkey and where could I get one?' "

''Very few people should own a monkey," she adds, "and I hate the fact that in many pet shops, the sale of a monkey is pushed without first telling a buyer the other side of raising one. Monkeys are not novelty pets and because of a lack of concern by the seller and lack of knowledge by the buyer, most die within a year of purchase.

''When Gizmo came to me I immediately contacted and registered Gizmo with the Simian Society of America, located in St. Louis, which offers me excellent information and advice I can rely on about raising him.
''Monkeys are a full-time job. They don't belong in cages and they don't like children. Most people do not know their private time is over if they own a monkey. Also that a monkey will bite and may, with time, become very temperamental. I'm hoping the time I'm giving Gizmo will keep him happy and content," says Layton.
“Re-used with permission of the Baltimore Sun Media Group.  All Rights Reserved.”
There is no link to this article.
I contacted the Baltimore sun and bought the rights to post this.

Father lifts son over fence to see monkey and boy gets bitten

I think everyone that reads this blog is aware that I don't believe people should own Primates. BUT in this case, it wasn't the monkeys fault. This father lifted his son over the fence to feed the monkey. Gosh dad haven't you been reading anything on the Internet about monkeys? What do you think a fence means? It means what's in needs to stay in and what's out needs to stay out. Why in the world would ANYONE lift their child over any ones fence let alone a place that keeps monkeys? Children sometimes don't know better, but parents do and they should be teaching their children NOT to go on other peoples property, not encourage them to do so. Their right, the monkey will probably be killed for doing this. Do people need concrete walls to understand "KEEP OUT!" What happened to respect for others and their property. Take your kid to a zoo where they can't reach any of the animals.


This brings me to the story of Frisky's wildlife and primate sanctaury. They at the present time are in a zoning battle because the neighborhood is afraid that one of the monkeys will get out and hurt someone. Well now they need to think about children going over onto Frisky's property and getting hurt. You can read some of those stories here under sanctuaries.


Story;
A family father may face charges over negligence after his son was seriously injured by a monkey at the weekend.

The four-year-old child was bitten on the hand by male Barbary Macaque named "Juppi" at a wildlife park in Preding, Styria, on Sunday after he was lifted over the fence by his dad to feed the animal. There are however signposts at the enclosure warning against coming too close to the fence.

Doctors at the Children’s Clinic in Graz, where the boy underwent surgery, said that a main nerve was ripped by the bite.

Hospital chief Michael Höllwarth said today (Tues): "That’s the third time a visitor was bitten by a monkey there. I wrote to the managers asking them to strengthen safety and accident prevention standards, but no one got back to me."

Managers of the wildlife park meanwhile criticised the family dad for his actions. "What are we supposed to do? Now we will probably be ordered to put the animal down," they said.

Deutschlandsberg district authorities said they will investigate the incident.

The wildlife park made headlines last August when kangaroo "Sumsi" escaped its enclosure. The animal, which was spotted around 50 kilometres from the site some days later, is still on the run.
Story Here

Joe the Monkey died for no reason!!!!

Like I said, there hasn't been a case of pet monkeys carrying rabies in many many many years. This whole thing was like a circus act! Poor Joe, he was put to death for only being a monkey. BTW the correct spelling is Capuchin.

Story;
REIDSVILLE, N.C. (WGHP) — A monkey that was ordered to be euthanized last week after it attacked a local woman tested negative for rabies, according to the Rockingham Co. Health Director.

Rockingham County Health Director Glenn L. Martin said Monday the test results for the monkey came back negative.

A state veterinarian ordered the monkey to be euthanized after the monkey attacked a Reidsville woman. Officials said there was uncertainty on whether rabies vaccinations worked for monkeys.

Joe, the Black Capped Capuchkin Monkey, was tranquilized by North Carolina Zoo officials and then taken to a local vet, where he was put to sleep.
Story Credit and conclusion here

PETA HELP!!!! Japanese restaurant makes monkeys have doll heads on and serve people

There are not enough words to say how very wrong this is!!!!!!. What in the world is wrong with people? Where are the laws for these monkeys? God what a horrible way to have to live. When you watch the video you can see that when the monkey is told something he/she is scared to death. I guess so if they do to these monkeys as they do with the other ones in the street with chain pulling hard on their necks. That story also found here on this blog under monkey owners. Just hired people for god sake. People can make their own choices.

Story;
By myFOXDetroit.com Staff
(WJBK) - There's some serious monkey business going on in a restaurant in central Japan.

We found a blog (complete with photos and video) explaining the experience at Kayabuki, a restaurant in Utsonomiya where monkeys are the servers.

The blogger claims the restaurant is a bit of the dive and the service was subpar... go figure. The creepy part of the experience to seems to be the human mask and wigs put worn by the monkeys.
Story Credit Here and a video

Why does Frisky's Wildlife and Primate Sanctaury still have their monkeys?

Operators of an animal rehabilitation center in Howard County cannot legally keep primates on their property, the Court of Special Appeals held yesterday.

Colleen Layton and her husband Scott Robbins currently do business as Frisky's Wildlife and Primate Sanctuary Inc. on 3.7 acres in Woodstock. According to their Web site, they care for small, indigenous wildlife that has become orphaned or injured, for domestic animals such as rabbits and farm animals that can no longer be cared for properly.

They also care for primates from sanctuaries or private owners around the country, the Web site says - not orangutans or gorillas, but monkeys of the macaque, squirrel, capuchin and vervet guenon varieties.
Frisky's was notified in December 1999 that it was operating a charitable and philanthropic institution without a special exception approved by the Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning.

The operators submitted a petition, which wound its way to the county Board of Appeals, which in 2004 granted Layton and Robbins an exception allowing them to operate an animal rehabilitation center on the property.

The exception, however, did not incorporate the right to operate a primate sanctuary. The board found insufficient evidence to support the approval of Frisky's as a wildlife or exotic animal "exhibitor," which would have allowed the keeping, holding or selling of wild or exotic animals under a Howard County Code provision then in effect.
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