PA game officials seize couple's helper monkey.

Here's another example of heartless government bureaucracy run amok.

Fine issue over possession of monkey, Pa. couple claims it's a helper animal

A suburban Pittsburgh man has been fined for illegally possessing a monkey he says acted as a helper for him and his cancer-stricken wife.

Samuel Govannucci says he got the small monkey, named Kira, about 10 years ago as he was recovering from an accident. He says the creature became more important when his wife was diagnosed with leukemia.

But the Pennsylvania Game Commission seized the monkey during a raid in April. On Wednesday Govannucci was found guilty of possession of a monkey without a permit.

The game commission says it rarely grants permits for monkeys because they can carry diseases potentially fatal to humans.

Amanda Govannucci says she has hearing problems and Kira would alert her when someone was at the door.

16 News


Yeah, you can tell those game wardens are right on top of things seizing this monkey after the couple had it for TEN YEARS! And what's the deal with them saying it was seized in a "raid"? Please don't tell me they brought in the SWAT team to steal away this poor couple's monkey.

I can understand the public health issues and some of the dangers involved in owning a monkey (remember the face-ripper monkey?) but, if they have had this monkey for 10 years with no incidents, why crack down on it now?

The story doesn't even say what kind of monkey it was (the article says "small monkey" but, small by whose standards?) so I would like to know more about this monkey and how the game commission became aware of it before coming to any solid conclusions but, on the face of it, it looks to me to be standard government intrusion in a case that was a threat to no one.

Hmmn, nothin' huh?



I was hoping someone from the Pittsburgh area may have heard more about this story on their local news and would be able to fill in the blanks. I would sure like to know more about the "raid" to confiscate the monkey and how this guy got his hands on it to begin with.

You would think that after having the thing for 10 years, he should be grandfathered in and allowed to keep the monkey, or at least given extra consideration for getting a license for his monkey.

www.wpxi.com...

This link may help fill in a few blanks.

What did they expect? They live in a "COMMONWEALTH"....stealing from the citizens is what Pennsylvania's good at.

Now they can claim the monkey was worth $50,000 and use it as a write off for their State Taxes. That'll teach those Commie's

There is a great video at the link the above poster provided, and the reporters last comments were:

The monkey's owners posted pictures of the onkey on Myspace, someone saw them, and called wildlife to turn them in!

The video shows the monkey but I could not figure how to embed this video, sorry. So if someone knows their monkeys, then they may be able to ID what type it is.

I have seen shows about pet monkeys that turn violent, but this case is a therapy monkey and it is really disgusting the way wildlife manager Fazi is treating this case. I feel really sorry for this family, I live with someone who is disabled, so to be treated like this and the added stress, it makes me cry for them.

reply to post by rocketman70433


Thanks for that article, it really hepled.

Her husband was home when it happened.

"They go after (Kira) with these radiation suits and these big, long poles trying to tranquilize her. Three people were going after a little 10-pound monkey," Samuel Govannucci said.

WPXI


Is it possible for the government to NOT overreact to every little thing? They had to come in wearing bio-hazard suits to catch a 10 pound monkey that hasn't been a problem for 10 years. I swear, government is just trying to make itself look silly the way they respond to things anymore.


It looks like they might even be disregarding the law in order to throw their weight around and show everybody who's boss.

"If he would call the ADA, they would tell him a therapy animal does not have to be registered under federal law. I registered her just to make them happy," Amanda Govannucci said.

But the commission said the Govannuccis don't have the right permits.

Didn't have the right permits, yeah right, they just keep changing the rules just to squeeze a few more bucks out of the people they are supposed to be protecting.

Is it a rule that a person has to give up their humanity in order to get a government law enforcement type job? Is it impossible for these people to show even a little bit of compassion for a sick woman in the last months of her life?

The Govannuccis said they believe someone called the Wildlife Commission after seeing photos of the monkey on their Myspace page.

Yet another reason to never post your info on one of those social networking sites; you never know when Big Brother is watching or when one of your so-called "friends" is really a government informer.

The fish and game commissions are sleazy--truly. This story is as told by a woman who was set up by them, and I don't have the other side of the story. Several years ago, I worked for an attorney and we represented a woman who was completely set up by these folks. There was a man who went undercover and posed as a fisherman and befriended this woman and her husband. Befriended her to the point where they were hanging out with each other a lot and he spent time at their house for BBQs and such. This went on for about 6 months. Then one day after the woman and her husband had been fishing (I think it was shad but I can't remember), they were walking back to their car with their daily catch and the man was walking out to the docs and met them. I don't remember the circumstances behind why he asked but he asked the woman if she would sell some of her fish to him. She was going to just give him the fish but he insisted on giving her money and she took it.

He arrested her on the spot right there for illegally selling her fish without a permit.

Sleazy isn't quite the word I would choose. She faced jail time but "got off" with a hefty $2,000 fine.

Apparently this is a result of recent changes in the law due to people abusing the "service animal" designation so they could take their pets everywhere with them.

New ADA service animal regs don’t monkey around

Those claiming that their pet monkeys, reptiles or ferrets are service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act should take heed of new regulations set to go into effect soon.

Those regs, issued last year but delayed until the Obama administration could get its Justice Department Civil Rights Division fully in place, are set to be enforced by the end of the year.

The new clarified standards bar rabbits, farm animals, ferrets, rodents, amphibians, and wild animals – including monkeys or any other primate born in captivity – from being used as service animals.

DC Dicta

ADA to crack down on bogus service animals

New ADA rules may only protect dogs and miniature horses as service animals due to progressively more people buying bogus Internet-based National Service Animal Registry credentials to declare their pets as service animals.

It is becoming increasingly common for people with disabilities to own service animals such as seeing eye dogs, as helpers to cope with seizures, monitor meds, and for minimizing behavior problems for children with autism. Yet there are creatures of all types working as service animals such as Capuchin monkey helpers, and even more unusual service animals like ferrets, parrots, pot-bellied pigs, and snakes. If these peculiar animals have service-animal credentials, businesses could face $55,000 civil penalties for asking about disability or denying access and thereby violating a person’s civil rights.

However, starting on March 15th, only service dogs and trained miniature horses will be protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act, reports The Wall Street Journal. Why this drastic change? Because some people believe there are too many bogus service animals – people who are taking advantage of the system in order to keep their beloved pets handy at all times.

NCPAD blog


Isn't that great; just because some yahoos were abusing this law to bring their weird and exotic pets with them everywhere they went, this woman has to pay for their abuse of the statute.

The law didn't even change until March 15th of this year. Like I said before, there should have been some type of grandfather clause in this law for people with long time helper animals like this couple.

What is really outraging is the fact that there is no indication that this couple ever tried to take their monkey out into public places which is what caused the change in the law in the first place. If they keep their service animal inside their own home and don't try to force their way into public places with it, this law shouldn't apply to them.

This is the typical government response to a problem; over-react wildly and pass a law to outlaw previously legal activity, giving people NO NOTICE that their activities have suddenly become outlawed and then hammer them with the full force of the law for doing what, up till today, was perfectly legal.


I swear, they are all out to get us...


ETA: I just noticed; they raided their house just weeks after the law changed:

However, the Wildlife Commission seized the monkey during a raid in April and fined Govannucci for illegally possessing the animal.

The law only changed on the March 15th. Something tells me those dirtbags knew about the monkey for years and knew that is wasn't a bother to anyone but, as soon as the new law went into effect, they made plans to go around and confiscate animals and fine their owners to put more money into the state's coffers.

I would be willing to bet that this isn't the only instance where someone's exotic helper animal was seized and its owner fined. This is probably only the tip of the iceburg because this family went to the press and they carried this story. How many others were victimized by the state in this manner?

I think it is disgusting that they are using the disabled as a source of revenue by exploiting this law change. Government is supposed to protect this type of person from abuse, not be the agent of abuse against them.