By Founder, Amy Kerwin
I formed Primates Incorporated in 2004 while I was still working in a laboratory with 97 rhesus monkeys. No matter how much I tried, I could not get management to support sending monkeys to sanctuary. I networked with other laboratories and learned they were sending monkeys to sanctuary, but space and funding was limited.
When I heard some monkeys who had a chance at achieving sanctuary were turned away, I knew the need existed and Primates Incorporated became an official nonprofit organization in July 2004.
It took 14 years of overcoming challenges, increasing awareness about the need to help them, fundraising, and involving the community to get the sanctuary off of the ground.
Thousands of monkeys live in labs and the pet trade, but no federal funding is set aside to help them achieve sanctuary. Federal funding was given to chimpanzees, but none to the monkeys. Very few foundations will support the monkeys because many do not know that some lab personnel do want to send monkeys to sanctuaries.
Until a fund is created to pay for monkeys’ lifetime care, it will continue to be up to us to help them achieve sanctuary from the pet trade and laboratories.
Thank you so much to everyone who has supported the sanctuary! The monkey residents would not be here without your support!