Wild Futures Calls for Justice for Joey
WILD FUTURES CALLS FOR JUSTICE FOR JOEY
AS EX-OWNER FACES 10 YEARS IN PRISON FOR OTHER CHARGES
Leading primate welfare charity, Wild Futures, is calling for justice for one of the monkeys in its care: Joey, the capuchin, spent 9 years as a pet, in conditions that left him disabled and traumatised.
Joey was taken from the rainforest; his mother allegedly killed for bush meat. He was then imported to the UK with paperwork that stated that he had been “rescued from the wild”! He was then kept by his owner, Juliette D’Souza, for 9 years in a tiny cage in London. A cage apparently approved by the local authority.
For nine years Joey had no access to natural sunlight which led to vitamin D deficiencies and left him severely disabled. His bones became deformed, he developed a fused spine, hip dysplasia and poorly formed jaw. Joey would sit and rock all day, creating an open sore at the base of his spine.
Joey’s owner fled the country in 2007. She left her neighbour to visit and feed the lonely capuchin once a day. Apart from this visit, the only company for Joey was a flat screen TV on the wall.
Joey was rescued by Wild Futures in 2007. He was in such a state that the charity thought that he wouldn’t make it. Joey was one of the worst cases that Wild Futures had seen.
Joey’s case is horrifying: Pictures of Joey as a baby show he was a healthy young monkey, with a good body shape, suggesting that the cruel conditions in which he was kept led to his disabilities. There was never a chance to find out whether a case could be brought to bring justice for Joey as, disappointingly, for 7 years, Wild Futures heard little on the whereabouts of Juliette D’ Souza.
However, now the charity knows that Joey’s ex-owner is back in the UK and has just been convicted on 23 counts of fraud and deception. She now faces 10 years in prison. Ironically, this is about the same time that Joey was imprisoned in D’Souza’s flat in London.
Circumstances such as these could be indicative of an offence under the Animal Welfare Act – however, in this case, that would not even be an option because current animal welfare legislation, (Section 31 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006), states that a magistrates’ court “may try an information if it is laid before the end of the period of 3 years beginning with the date of the offence”. Although Juliette D’ Souza has only just resurfaced in the UK, the potential offence linked to Joey took place 7 years ago and is therefore outside of this time limit.
Wild Futures is asking for “Justice for Joey” and has this week launched a campaign to raise awareness of the unfair legislation and the mess that is the regulation surrounding the primate pet trade. The charity is urging members of the public to write to their MP to ask them to ban the primate pet trade. It would also like to see the time allowed to prosecute under the Animal Welfare Act increased.
Wild Futures estimates that approximately 5,000 privately owned primates are kept in the UK with calls to rescue centres and sanctuaries like Wild Futures continuing to rise.
To keep a monkey like a capuchin, owners are meant to obtain a Dangerous Wild Animals Act licence. Yet most local authorities do not have the time, resources or the knowledge to issue and follow up on licences, leaving potentially thousands of primates at risk. Indeed, figures indicate 8 out of 10 pet monkeys do not have a licence when they should. In Joey’s case, it is believed that Camden Council issued a licence in his first year as a pet (thus sanctioning totally inappropriate conditions), but the licence was never renewed and Camden Council didn’t chase. Many other primate species do not require a licence, leaving them even more vulnerable to poor welfare.
Wild Futures is campaigning for an end to the primate pet trade. Although Joey is one of worst cases it has seen, all of the rescued monkeys residing at Wild Futures’ Monkey Sanctuary suffer physically and, or, psychologically following their time kept as pets. Many suffer with diabetes due to poor nutrition; others have missing digits or tails, and numerous monkeys display stereotypical behavioural issues such as self-harming and pacing.
In December last year, the department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee launched an inquiry into whether primates should be kept as pets and if a ban were to be implemented, how it would be put into practice. Wild Futures contributed written and oral evidence at a hearing in Parliament in February this year, calling for a ban. EFRA is due to publish its report this month.
Rachel Hevesi, Director of Wild Futures, states: “Joey’s case is tragic. The way he was kept caused numerous issues and suffering. It’s unjust that the law cannot offer Joey justice due to the time limit of three years. Although Joey is now in a much better place, with large spacious enclosures, and most importantly, the company of other capuchin monkeys, he will always carry the physical and emotional trauma of his life as a pet. He has a life sentence. Sadly, the UK lags behind many other European countries when it comes to primate welfare. We are failing these highly intelligent, complex animals on multiple levels.
She added: “We hope that the Select Committee’s report, which is due to be published this month, favours primate welfare and, brings us a step closer towards a ban. We will not stop campaigning until we achieve Justice for Joey and justice for all the other monkeys out there. We hope that as many people as possible write to their MP and ask for justice by way of a ban. Enough is enough; the suffering must end.”
Stephen Fry adopted Joey and said: “We are meant to be a nation of animal lovers, so why the trade in a wild, social animal with complex needs is still legal, continues to astound me. Joey’s story is not unique – many of the monkeys rescued by Wild Futures have their own terrible tales. Taking part in this project was important to me and I sincerely hope that many people are moved to support Wild Futures’ work, so that the charity can campaign to put an end to the trade and rescue more monkeys in need.”
You can watch Stephen Fry tell Joey’s story at https://www.wildfutures.org/justiceforjoey
The page also includes a template letter for members of the public to send to their MP and a link to MP’s contact details.
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Notes to Editors:
Released: June 2014
About Wild Futures
Wild Futures (Charity reg. No. 1102532) is the UK educational and environmental charity promoting the welfare and conservation of primates, and working to end the abuse of primates in captivity. Its flagship project, The Monkey Sanctuary, in Cornwall, is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2014. Home to victims of the primate pet trade, The Monkey Sanctuary is accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS). Wild Futures is a founder and board member of EARS (European Alliance of Rescue Centres and Sanctuaries. Drawing on its 50 years of primate expertise, Wild Futures acts as an advisory body to sanctuaries and conservation organisations in the UK and overseas and advises DEFRA on UK animal welfare legislation.
For more information contact:
Rachel Hevesi
+44 (0) 844 272 1271