Posted on 02/13/2024 4:27:04 PM PST by Responsibility2nd
Few people look twice these days at veterans accompanied by service dogs that help their humans cope with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Not so with spider monkeys.
When a female patient brought two of the small, wiry monkeys to an appointment last Wednesday at Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, a military clinic on the West Side, staffers looked twice.
And then they asked her to leave.
“The animals were under blankets and not immediately visible, but once staff became aware, they politely informed the patient that emotional support animals, to include monkeys, are not permitted in a military medical facility,” said Elaine Sanchez, a spokeswoman with the Defense Health Agency, which oversees the San Antonio facility.
Adult spider monkeys weigh just 13.2 pounds on average and are 14 to 26 inches tall. A spider monkey that can keep its chattering and fidgeting to a minimum might be able to avoid detection. But a medical office is probably stressful for primates.
DHA did not identify the patient.
The Americans with Disabilities Act says monkeys can’t be service animals, which are trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities. Only dogs and miniature horses can have those jobs.
Emotional support animals usually receive no special training. Their presence alone is comforting.
After the monkey incident at Wilford Hall, a unit of the Air Force’s 59th Medical Wing said in an email that animals “that are in training or whose sole function is to provide emotional support, comfort, therapy or companionship are not service animals under the ADA.”
Therapy, or “activity,” animals that are part of a patient’s treatment are authorized to enter Wilford Hall “but must remain in the possession of the therapist or provider.”
“If a patient brings any other type of animal into the facility, we will ask them to remove the animal from the facility before they can be provided care,” the email stated.
Wilford Hall staffers took no chances after the woman left with her monkeys. They scoured the examination room where she’d been waiting.
“Out of an abundance of caution and in accordance with infection control guidelines, upon the patient’s departure, staff immediately performed a ‘terminal clean,’ which is a floor-to-ceiling cleaning and disinfection of the area,” Sanchez said via email.
“We encourage patients who are considering bringing an animal to a military medical center to call prior to their appointment to avoid any inconvenience or safety concerns,” she added.
The city of San Antonio prohibits keeping primates as pets, said Lisa Norwood, a spokeswoman for San Antonio Animal Care Services.
The status of spider monkeys under state law is less clear. Texas statute requires owners of “dangerous wild animals” to register with local authorities. Rattlesnakes and alligators are on the list of such animals, but not spider monkeys.
The incident first came to light on Air Force amn/nco/snco, a Facebook page for enlisted personnel known for snarky commentaries.
“I’m bringing my emotional support honey badger to my next appointment,” wrote a DHA medical standards manager.
“So you can bring in a miniature horse but not a spider monkey?” wrote a retired airman living in Minot, N.D.
You never know until you try! Please report back to us on how it went.
NO...it ATE HER FRIENDS FACE!!
That signature is wonderful!
I had to go to Urgent Care and there was a sign up that they allowed dogs and horses as support animals.
I can’t remember if it was mini horses or what...but this urgent care wasn’t that big...I asked if they had ever seen a horse in there and they said not yet.
I completely agree with your signature.
Truth Hurts.
People used to take a friend for support if they were nervous going to the doctor. A human one!
vicious animals that belong in the wild
That was a chimpanzee, not a spider monkey, although they probably have a painful bite. All monkeys are very fast, very mischievous and very unhygienic. They shouldn’t be pets, they are wild animals and should live in their family groups.
Those who use exotic animals for emotional support seem to be attention-seekers; the emotional support comes from the attention, not the animal.
I need an emotional support 71 Hemi Cuda Convertible. Where do I pick one up and bill my insurance company.
Not my monkey. Not my circus.
YES !!!!!!!
Like everything lately, it’s been taken to the extreme. Much like all the idiots taking their dogs to restaurants and bars. The lockdown caused the increase the insanity.
Look at me! Look at me!
I went to a Doctor that had some sort of primate roaming around in his office. Scared the crap outta me, I reported him and got a new dr the next day.
Sounds like a smart move to me!
In all fairness, I believe that was a chimp. Chimp’ll rip your arm off and beat you to death with it
That was a “socialized” chimpanzee.
Made her blind, and I choose to stop now...
>But a medical office is probably stressful for primates.
Including humans.
That’s why I take my emotional support cougar everywhere I go.
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