Rescues—Petey

Early in 2002, Debbie Leahy of PETA contacted longtime collaborator April Truitt, founder of the Primate Rescue Center, regarding an elderly lady in Ohio living with dogs and a monkey in squalid conditions. The monkey was apparently very ill and needed medical attention immediately. Debbie Leahy contacted the local Sheriff’s office where Chief Deputy H. L. Blair expressed concern and offered to help relocate the elderly woman and her neglected pets. Representatives of several agencies, including the county Health Department, Adult Protective Services and the county dog shelter were also contacted and made aware of the situation. After several phone calls, plans were finalized and April headed to Wheelersburg, Ohio to meet with the other involved parties.

Upon entering the residence, everyone was shocked by the conditions. The elderly woman was obviously no longer capable of caring for herself, much less attending to multiple animals. The house was filthy, with no running water. Dirty cages teeming with rodents filled the living room. Eight dogs, one blind, one missing an eye, were confined to foul pet carriers. Another was stuck to the floor of the cage by caked feces. The spider monkey, Petey, was equally neglected. He limply lay in a tiny 2 foot by 2 foot by 2 foot cage, not nearly big enough for him to fully stand or even stretch out in. The cage and the animal were caked with feces. He had no water and was so thin he looked as if he had rarely been fed. Every breath appeared to be painful and strenuous, and thick mucus was streaming from his nose and eyes.

Upon being interviewed, it quickly became apparent that the owner was not entirely lucid and needed help herself. She was confused and disoriented. She did mention that she had owned many monkeys, as well as other animals, years before, and that they had been frozen to death when a heater ran out of fuel. We were amazed when she revealed, during one particularly clear moment, that in the early 70’s she had owned two chimps – Donald and Debbie – and that they now lived in Georgia. Further questioning left no doubt that these were two of the “Dahlonega Five” chimps who came to live at the PRC in 1997!

The Health Department quickly declared the house as being, “unsafe and unsanitary for human inhabitation.” It was officially condemned and the animals were confiscated. The dogs were taken to the local shelter and Chief Blair turned the monkey over to the Primate Rescue Center. The elderly woman was taken to a relative’s home until a more permanent solution could be found.

Immediately upon returning to Kentucky, Petey was examined by veterinarian John C. Nance. According to Dr. Nance’s exam, Petey “had a severe upper respiratory infection and pneumonia. There were obvious signs of neglect… He had fecal matter all over his legs and rump as well as a secondary skin rash. He had generalized muscle wasting and disuse atrophy from prolonged cage confinement.” No one was certain what his prospects for recovery were. In any event, he would remain at the Primate Rescue Center to be cared for. If nothing else, his last days would be spent in relative comfort.

For the first few weeks at the PRC, Petey required around the clock care. His gums were so swollen that they covered most of his teeth. He was too weak to raise his arms, so he was spoon fed soft baby food and given water from a syringe. His bedding had to be changed frequently and he needed to be bathed daily as he was too feeble even to move to relieve himself. To combat the pneumonia he was administered antibiotics several times each day. There was a faint spark in those ebony eyes, and we struggled to keep it alive.

There was also hidden strength in Petey and, amazingly, he began to show signs of improvement! The antibiotics eliminated his respiratory infection and his breathing was no longer labored. The mucus completely disappeared and the swelling went down in his gums to reveal more teeth, which he now used to eat and enjoy numerous solid foods from fruit to pasta. Soon he was able to sit up on his own, though his muscles were so badly atrophied that any movement was extremely difficult. To offer him a chance to stretch and work his legs, Petey spent an hour or so a day in an infant bouncing chair. The strength in his legs increased and he was doing so well that he was able to leave intensive care and be relocated to an area where he could see and hear other monkeys.

Petey was moved to a much larger enclosure with multiple levels that he could easily climb between. Though his movements were still slow and uncertain at times, he continued to improve and appeared quite content in his new home. He enjoyed a wide variety of foods, which he easily fed himself, and he ate frequently and heartily. He also began to exert his will like a healthy monkey, pushing away food he disliked and even making threats towards strangers.

Petey’s health continued to steadily improve and in early August we felt he was finally ready to meet the other spider monkeys face to face. However, Petey was, and would always be, weaker and slower than a normal monkey, so we proceeded with the introduction slowly and with utmost caution. First we allowed Petey to have sole access to one half of the enclosure so that he could orient himself and become comfortable with his surroundings. Initially Petey did have some difficulty moving about this vast new space. We added a few perches to minimize the distance he would have to swing and we even rigged up temporary railings and ladders to help him move between the inside and outdoor areas. Our wonderful intern, Susan Diepen, worked with Petey for several days using meals and treats to motivate him to explore the area.

In less than a week Petey was moving around comfortably and we had already removed the temporary aids. We felt that to minimize stress of the situation, we would begin by letting Bisou alone over to Petey’s side. Bisou was older and more docile than they other three (who could be quite rambunctious) and we hoped that she would be gentle and friendly towards Petey. Unfortunately, this did not exactly happen. Bisou was disinterested in Petey and refused to acknowledge him, even when he approached her or screamed at her. She sat sulking as far from him as possible, watching her regular companions like a punished child kept inside. When we realized that nothing was going to improve we let Bisou back over to her side and discussed what to do next.

We decided to take a chance and just open the entire enclosure up to all five spider monkeys. The following day we opened the doors, and to our utter surprise, Petey immediately raced the other side before anyone crossed over to him! He quickly became scared and raced back to safety, grimacing and shrieking. He continued to make a scene, shrieking and cringing when the others approached. Amazingly, they seemed to understand Petey’s situation. They backed off until he calmed down and then only approached him very slowly and quietly. This is very uncharacteristic for spider monkeys, who normally swing and hop speedily around their enclosure. Their mild demeanor toward Petey did keep him calm and within an hour Chester had approached and gently touched Petey. Then Booger, to our great surprise, approached Petey and embraced him! Petey hugged back, both lipsmacking and making happy and excited spider monkey sounds! Over the course of the afternoon, they all spent time sitting near to him (within a foot), as if to make him feel a part of their group. Only Bisou never attempted contact. Perhaps she still resented being stuck alone with him the other day?

After that first wonderful day, things continued on beautifully for Petey and the gang. They remained together and we observed on several occasions the others embracing or cuddling Petey, particularly in the cool of the morning. He was initially a little uncomfortable taking food around the others, but eventually he snatched his meals up greedily just like his housemates. He appeared completely at ease in the enclosure and moved around with confidence.

Petey endured physical handicap for the rest of his life. However, his quality of life improved immeasurably after he arrived at the PRC. Unfortunately, there are countless others like Petey kept in basements, in sheds and in tiny cages around the country. Most owners actually begin with the best intentions for their pet, only to find that it is nearly impossible for the average person to provide for the complex social and physical needs of nonhuman primates. Cases like Petey’s make it clear that the exotic animal trade is indefensible and that private ownership of exotic pets is unjustifiable. The suffering caused by these human leisure activities is immeasurable, destroying the lives of thousands of animals, and tragedy pervades even those stories that have happy endings.

-Jennifer Caravello