Service monkey?

[JayColorado]

I've heard rumors of people using Caputchen monkeys as service animals. Does anyone know of an organization that trains or places these?

[queen]

Only thing I found for monkey assistance was http://www.helpinghandsmonkey.org.

They also listed many dog agencies and well as the mini-horses too!

I saw a special on tv about trainable monkeys. They are excellent if you get a calm, loving one. However, they did indicate they can be how you say ..."emotional" like a human and get angry and frustrated too. Then they aren't so helpfu and act out in ways that aren't acceptablel.

[Liz321]

...and they cannot accompany you outside in public like a dog can (at least that is what I've heard).

[Liz321]

Monkey see, monkey do

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monkey see, monkey do

By Sasha Brown / News Staff Writer
Monday, July 14, 2003



NORWOOD -- Shea, a 9-year-old Capuchin monkey with a penchant for lollipops, visited the Morrill Memorial Library to entertain -- and teach -- a roomful of excited children.

Shea's visit was part of a spinal cord injury prevention class for children led by Betsy Brown, a volunteer for the Helping Hands, which trains monkeys like Shea to assist quadriplegic individuals and improve their quality of life.

During the first half of the program Wednesday, Brown discussed safety related to diving, bicycles, playgrounds and cars.

"When we are out playing we need to always make sure we play safely," said Brown. "Always protect your neck."

The second half focused on Helping Hands and how it works.

"We have almost 100 monkeys out there working right now," said Brown. Many more monkeys are being trained. The training is long and intense.

Each monkey lives with a foster family for almost five years to socialize them. They are trained five to six times a week in 30- to 45-minute sessions.

Brown allowed the children to participate in mock "training sessions" where one child acted as the monkey and the other as the trainer.

The "monkey" learned by imitating what the trainer did and, in a more advanced "training session," the monkey was taught to follow a laser pointer to retrieve an object.

"We use the laser pointer so that someone who is paralyzed can point to what they want," said Brown.

Once the monkey has completed training, he or she will be matched up with someone. "We try to match the monkeys with someone whose needs will be matched by that monkey in particular," said Brown.

For each monkey that is placed, the program spends $25,000, said Brown.

The kids seemed to enjoy the program, and Shea.

"I thought it was so neat that you can actually train monkeys to do so many things," said 12-year-old Kat Wood. "And the monkey was really cute."

Jack McDonough, 6, also enjoyed watching Shea.

"It was funny because the monkey kept eating stuff," said McDonough. "It was fun to watch."

Though the program was fun, it also had a serious message, one the library is working hard to get across.

"We have been doing programs using grant money to better serve people with disabilities," said library outreach coordinator Beth Goldman. Two years ago, the library received a grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

The library has since offered a number of programs to help the community better understand disabilities.

"The main point of the grant was to help people understand what kinds of disabilities are out there," said Goldman, "and to help them become more familiar with them. As you get to know things, you get more comfortable."


Sasha Brown can be reached at 781-433-8368 or sabrown@cnc.com
http://www.dailynewstranscript.com/n...ty07142003.htm

[LaMemChose]

Caveat: Monkeys can be mean little shitz, prone to biting and temper tantrums. Nothing quite like a snapping, poo flinging helper to make your quad day.

I'd check into it before deciding upon an ape.

[Wesley]

with my luck the monkey would be all sweet and obedient whenever anyone else was around. And then when we were alone, it would start humping on my ear or something.

damn monkeys are smart. They would get to know that I couldn't do anything to stop them.

[rfbdorf]

There may be a lot of potential for service monkeys, especially considering their dexterity, but they lack the marvelous relationship that has resulted from the apparent coevolution of dogs with humans.
- Richard

[Salimacatwoman]

Helping Hands-Monkey helpers for the Disabled

[cljanney]

CBS Video News story on Service Monkey

http://cbs4boston.com/specialreports...004211942.html

[van damn]

I tried get one in 99' but never got one.So i bought a german shepard.He was good but, my wife couldn't train him because the house was too small.