November 27 is Giving Tuesday—a perfect opportunity to pause during the holiday season and contribute to a worthy cause. This year, the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is collaborating with OPR Coastal Primate Sanctuary, a facility that provides homes and loving care to monkeys who have been retired from research or who were once exploited in the exotic pet trade. We ask that you join us by donating on November 27 to support the welfare and enrichment of these often-traumatized animals.
Baby monkeys are cute and expressive, so many people mistakenly believe they would make fun pets. But human homes are terrible environments for monkeys. Most people, even those with the best of intentions, are unaware of the time, resources, and energy required to keep a monkey happy and healthy—especially once that monkey becomes full grown. As a result, pet owners lose interest or become overwhelmed, and monkeys all too often end up locked away in cages under unimaginably grim conditions—or they are simply abandoned.
Caring for a primate requires consideration of each individual monkey’s history, health, preferences, and temperament in order to provide them with a safe, secure environment and appropriate enrichment. One of the many monkeys at OPR Coastal Primate Sanctuary is Jack, a male Java macaque who was once kept as a pet and later abandoned. One of Jack’s favorite activities is swimming and splashing in the sanctuary’s macaque pool. Louise is another permanent resident of OPR, following her retirement from research. She has become close friends with Holly, who was once on display in a pet store.
These are just a small sampling of the animals who will benefit from your donation. Your generous contribution* will provide enrichment and care for monkeys living in a social environment within a true sanctuary. Additionally, any donation greater than $50 will include Monkeys Don’t Wear Diapers, a book written by OPR Director Polly Schultz and published by AWI that features poignant profiles of some of the monkeys at the sanctuary. Here are some examples of how your donation can make a difference in the lives of rescued primates:
- A $25 donation will provide a 20-pound box of Gala apple treats to satisfy 15 monkeys for a month OR four Teddy bears to offer hours of grooming opportunities for Jala and Tyler, our special needs monkeys who, because of past trauma, have difficulty pairing with other monkeys.
- A $50 donation will provide enough striped maple wood saplings to keep five monkeys happily gnawing on their favorite wood for a month OR a new puzzle feeder for one monkey.
- A $100 donation will buy a three-month supply of lifesaving medications for Keiki, who was gravely injured by her former owner and has a serious heart condition OR a three-month supply of supplements for Cornelius, who has bone problems brought on by malnutrition at an early age.
- A $500 donation will buy a rock climbing structure or other features for the monkeys’ newest playground that is under construction, where the monkeys will be able to enjoy playing in the grass, chasing bugs, and enjoying the sunshine OR will heat the sanctuary for one month during the winter.
- A $1,000 donation will provide initial veterinary care and medical testing for an incoming rescued monkey.
* If you are making a donation via the AWI website for this campaign, please write #GivingTuesday in the “Order Comment” section upon checkout. If donating via PayPal, please write #GivingTuesday in the “Special Instructions” section upon checkout. This will help ensure your donation will specifically support the #GivingTuesday campaign. All donations made on Giving Tuesday (November 27, 2018) will automatically be designated for the campaign, unless otherwise noted. Thank you!
If you can’t donate, how else can you support AWI this #GivingTuesday?
Help spread the word about the campaign to your friends and family! Here are some sample social media posts you can use to promote the campaign:
Twitter:
- This #GivingTuesday, support @AWIOnline’s campaign to help the OPR Coastal Primate Sanctuary provide continued care and enrichment for #monkeys that were rescued from abusive homes or retired from research: http://bit.ly/2S4PPtg.
- Looking for a cause to support on #GivingTuesday? Help @AWIOnline’s campaign to help the OPR Coastal Primate Sanctuary provide continued care and enrichment for #RescuedMonkeys: http://bit.ly/2S4PPtg.
Facebook:
- This year, for its November 27 #GivingTuesday campaign, the @Animal Welfare Institute is collaborating with OPR Coastal Primate Sanctuary, which provides happy homes for monkeys who have been retired from research or who were once exploited in the exotic pet trade. Your donation can help provide these often-traumatized animals with continued medical care and enrichment, from apple treats to play structures in a new outdoor playground. On November 27, please consider donating to AWI in order to provide care for Jack and the many other monkeys like him: http://bit.ly/2S4PPtg.