Travis, the “pet” champ that attacked a visitor to his owner’s home, had recently been given Xanax, an anti-anxiety drug that is used for pets as well as humans, because it had become agitated.

Support the Captive Primate Safety Act

NEW YORK (RPRN) 04/04/09-Eight days after a chimpanzee kept as a “pet” attacked and critically injured a Connecticut woman, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 80, the Captive Primate Safety Act, which prohibits interstate and foreign commerce in primates for the pet trade.

There are an estimated 15,000 monkeys and other primates in private hands in the U.S. Many primates kept as “pets” end up abused or neglected. Often acquired as infants, as they grow, they can become too dangerous to handle. The animals may end up confined to small cages, sold to roadside zoos, or used for breeding in the exotic animal trade. In addition, nonhuman primates can spread dangerous diseases, such as the Herpes B virus, tuberculosis, and monkeypox.

The bill now moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration. Please contact your two U.S. senators to urge them to support the Captive Primate Safety Act and do all that they can to pass this important legislation.