Researching The Founders: Lynn Cuny

I first visited Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation (WRR) in 2014, the week I was in San Antonio for a NAPSA conference. This was also the week I interviewed for a position with NAPSA. Thankfully, I ended up being offered the position a short while later, but at the time all I knew was that I wanted to work there very badly! As a result, I was pretty much a nervous wreck during the conference and though I was very impressed by what I saw of the sanctuary tour of WRR, I know I didn't absorb everything that I would have, had I not been interviewing for the job of a lifetime.

When I was at WRR back then, one thing I recall was being in awe of the signage reminding visitors to respect all lives on site, no matter how small.

I was very much looking forward to my return visit as I researched The Founders.

WRR is not a NAPSA member sanctuary, so I don't interact with them as much as I do with some of the other sanctuaries. However, I do speak with them rather often to place primates in need. I have always been very grateful for their willingness to help in this way.

The sanctuary is known for its unique design, created to grant the rescued animals as much wildness back into their lives as possible. Though they are still captive in a sense, their enclosures are designed over vast spaces (sometimes many acres) that give them the ability to live in social groups, much like they would in the wild.

I won't give away too much - I want you to read the book, after all - but Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation is indeed a precious resource granting dignity to many deserving individuals, and it will be an honor to tell the story of its founder, Lynn Cuny.

I extend much gratitude to New England Anti-Vivisection Society for funding the travel for The Founders.

Letter published and KMOX radio interview in St. Louis

A bizarre story surfaced recently of a Creve Coeur, Missouri woman who was asking the town for an exemption to their rule prohibiting privately owned monkeys, because she claimed that her three monkeys of various species were "emotional support animals."

With a clear understanding of the lack of regulation of the use of monkeys as service animals, I felt compelled to reply. My Letter to the Editor was published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on September 22nd.

On September 23rd, that letter lead to an on-air interview with Kevin Killeen, a journalist at St. Louis AM radio station KMOX. I don't have a link to provide to that, but I was pleased to share the facts about the difficulties and cruelties inherent in keeping monkeys in human homes, and the fallacies of the "emotional support" and service animal industries.

Researching The Founders: Gloria Grow

At this point in my career, I've visited just about every reputable primate sanctuary in North America, but there was one I hadn't been to: Fauna Foundation. Fauna Foundation is in Quebec and was the first to accept HIV-positive laboratory chimpanzees in the late '90's. They also care for a number of chimpanzees retired from sign language studies, as well as some monkeys and various farm animals.

I had to go to the sanctuary for a work meeting this month, so I was more than happy when Gloria Grow, its founder and director, agreed to meet with me the following day so I could interview her.

The sanctuary is lovely - a true paradise with expansive views and pastoral settings.

I think the most memorable moment was seeing chimpanzees using sign language to communicate with caregivers. In this case, it was chimpanzee Tatu asking for an apple, and then signing "cool" when she was able to enjoy her apple. I knew chimpanzees were capable of this, of course, but seeing it with my own two eyes was something else.

I'm so grateful to not only spend time in these places, but to promote their work and lifesaving missions. If everyone lived like The Founders, the world would be a better place.