FESTUS, Mo. (AP) - A center in eastern Missouri is offering to give up its chimpanzees and other primates to settle a lawsuit filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Lawyers for the Missouri Primate Foundation in Festus told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Monday the center’s owner, Connie Braun Casey, has cared for the chimps for decades and considers them part of her family. But they say she can’t endure drawn-out litigation from a well-funded organization.
Casey has filed an offer of judgment that includes appointing someone to find the best wildlife sanctuary for the chimps.
PETA had accused the center of keeping the animals in filthy, mostly barren enclosures with inadequate space to roam.
A PETA lawyer, Jared Goodman, said the group was reviewing the filing. PETA has 14 days to respond.
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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com
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