Judy and Sophie
We were always proud to go the extra mile for our applicants as well as our recipients – and Judy’s story is a great example of our organization’s commitment to service. When 59-year-old Judy applied for a monkey helper, we had never before had a placement in the State of Vermont. Judy was diagnosed in 1986 with Multiple Sclerosis, and her disease progressed so that she used a wheelchair for mobility and was unable to do many simple everyday tasks. Spending the majority of her day alone while her husband is at work, Judy knew the assistance and companionship of a service monkey would be life-changing.
But something else needed changing before we could proceed with a placement – the laws in the State of Vermont which prohibited the entry of monkeys into the state – even as service animals.
Our staff worked for several months with VT legislators and Fish and Wildlife representatives and developed an agreement to allow our service animals to help the citizens of our neighboring state.
In June of 2010, all of our hard work paid off when Judy met a little monkey named Sophie.
“Some of my friends asked, ‘ What do you need a monkey for?’” says Judy. “How have I lived so long without a monkey is really the question – come to find out I was right.”
Watch their story…