A pet monkey that was flushed down the toilet and given cocaine is said to be recovering quite well. The woman who owned the animal has received a suspended jail sentence and banned from keeping animals for life.
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‘Shocking Mistreatment’
The sad plight of the marmoset monkey, came to light after Gwent Police discovered videos of her owner's cruel acts on her phone.
Vicki Holland, 38, of Wordsworth Road, Newport, Wales, pleaded guilty to three Animal Welfare Act offences. The monkey, named Milly, was found at another address after search by police at Holland’s property showed her missing.
Speaking after sentencing, inspector and exotics officer with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), Sophie Daniels condemned the animal's 'shocking mistreatment'.
I was immediately and gravely concerned about the welfare of this marmoset when I saw these disturbing videos. Videos from the defendant's phone showed Holland offering the marmoset cocaine, while another showed the clearly terrified marmoset down a toilet bowl.
Scarred For Life
According to Daniels, video footage uncovered by the police showed Holland laughing and screaming while the helpless animal struggled to stay alive in the toilet bowl.
Holland was shouting, swearing, laughing and at one point in the clip, the toilet is flushed, showing the petrified animal struggling to cling onto the side of the bowl.
The RSPCA eventually transferred Milly to Monkey World in Dorset where she has been cared for by specialist primate experts since January 2020.
Staff at the facility said, although Milly has grown to trust them and settle in to her new home, she will be traumatized for life. The facility's director, Dr Alison Cronin said:
Milly's case was tragic and heartbreaking. Milly will never fully recover from her abuse and will be psychologically damaged for the rest of her life but the key to saving Milly was companionship of her own kind.
She has even found a close companion in fellow marmoset Moon.
