Animal cruelty charges filed after monkey allegedly eats man's drugs
CINCINNATI (WKRC) — A man is facing animal cruelty charges after police say his pet got into his drugs. We're not talking about a dog or a cat, though. The charges stem from a pet capuchin monkey.
Adam Kordes, 34, is facing two charges of prohibitions related to companion animals – basically, things you're not allowed to do with a companion animal. And because these small monkeys are kept inside as pets, they fall under that companion animal category. Capuchin monkeys are not regulated by the state of Ohio like other exotic animals. So, if you can find someone selling one, you're able to buy them just like a cat or dog.
The court documents show a Hamilton County Dog warden found Kordes had given or allowed his monkey to ingest amphetamines. There's no word on the condition of the monkey and WKRC doesn't have any more details on what happened other than this dog warden's report.
Previously, Kordes was found incompetent to stand trial for a deadly crash in 2017 in which he was the driver and lost control and killed his friend, records show.
Teresa Bullock, who runs Misfitland Monkey Rescue, says she hopes Kordes is not allowed to have any more monkeys.
"I pray our court system, our prosecutor and judges can see that they have no business trying to take care of a life beyond their own. If they're struggling to take care of themselves, then they don't have the mental capacity to take care of something, especially as high maintenance as a baby monkey," Bullock said.
Kordes will be back in court Thursday, March 18. His attorney entered a written plea of not guilty to both charges.
The monkey has been removed from the residence, but court documents do not show where it has been relocated.
