Reports: PETA calls for investigation into legality of Dez Bryant’s monkey
PETA is calling on Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant to give up his new pet monkey, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Bryant posted a photo of the monkey in late October while he was rehabbing from his foot injury, saying he had named it “Dallas.” Now, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, PETA has contacted Animal Control in DeSoto, Texas, to look into “possible illegal possession” of the monkey.
“Monkeys belong in the wild — not in the hands of football players who acquire exotic animals just to make a splash on Instagram,” Brittany Peet of PETA said, according to Schefter. “This baby capuchin was torn away from his mother shortly after birth and needs special care that can now only be provided by wildlife experts who will be able to ensure that he gets the love and attention he deserves.”
• Bryant denies taunting Seahawks after Ricardo Lockette injury
There is no confirmation that Bryant purchased the monkey or that he owns it as a pet. The only evidence of the monkey being in Bryant’s possession is in this Oct. 21 Instagram post, in which Bryant calls the monkey his “new best friend.”
- Kenny Ducey
