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.
Uh, apes carry all sorts of diseases and parasites. It was prudent to sterilize the entire room after two monkeys were brought into a medical center.
Of course they do. You miss my point entirely. They could have simply said “In accordance with infection control guidelines, upon the patient’s departure, staff immediately performed a ‘terminal clean,’”
The person did not need to preface that sentence with the inane, government COVID pablum. It added no value or meaning.
My oldest daughter was born at Wilford Hall in 1991. Cruddy place with roaches. If the monkeys ate roaches, I would have welcomed them.
It was cruddy. I looked it up. It was built in 1957. However, it was torn down in 2017 and rebuilt into a nice modern facility.
Glad to hear that for the people who have to be in the hospital there. I had my other children in civilian facilities. Some were better than others - the hospital in Norman, OK, had a complete redo in the 17 months between my third child and my fourth one - but none of them had roaches.
My wife had scoliosis surgery at Wilford Hall in 1969. Her surgeon was a Dr. Harrington, who invented the Harrington rod. Here’s another fun fact for you and your daughter about Wilford Hall.
Wilford Hall opened in 1957 after the Korean War, as the Air Force expanded its footprint to counter the Soviet Union. It served as a hub for training, research and innovation, and was the birthplace of more than a hundred thousand babies.Oct 6, 2023
100,000. Not a surprise. My daughter was born at the end of the first Gulf War, when all the obstetrics staff came back from Europe, where they’d been stationed, along with any medical personal with pulses, in anticipation of huge casualties.
If Anoreth had been born a week earlier, she’d have been delivered by the oral surgeon.
Glad u like
There it is. :)
Make mine an emotional support M 1911 in .45 ACP or 10mm Auto…
Why are females always crazy?
Maybe the same reason males are always violent.
Good choices. There is a lot of emotional support to be had in a big caliber in concealed carry repose.
You mean I can’t bring my honey badger support animal, he doesn’t care about anything.
Those little bastards, (spider monkeys) will sh#t in their hand and throw it at you. Unfortunately I know this from first hand expereence.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.