SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - Before we head too far into this Ramona animal sanctuary, there is something you should know.
"Monkeys make terrible pets," Suzy Carey said.
She ought to know. She's cared for them since 1989, when she founded Mostly Monkeys, a nonprofit, long-term care facility for exotic animals.
"Exotic animals in general make terrible pets, and it's not only because they are wild. They are messy, they are aggressive and they grow up and they bite," Suzy said.
It's often the same sad scenario that lands these adorable creatures here.
"Usually they are people's pets that get confiscated from them because they are illegal or they don't want them anymore," Suzy said. "Some of them are also from laboratories that retire them from research. A lot of them would probably have been euthanized or they'd end up stuck in a tiny cage forever."
You'll find some of your former neighbors here.
"Russel came from Rancho Santa Fe. He was confiscated from someone who had him as an illegal pet," Suzy said.
There's even a refugee from RB, so I wasn't the only monkey running loose in Rancho Bernardo.
As their name implies, there are more than just monkeys at Mostly Monkeys. There are badgers and foxes and raccoons. But with every "ooh" and "aah" moment comes a warning for those who are tempted to own exotics: they will always be wild animals.
"You can never be positive that they are not going to bite you," Suzy said.
So you can't own, but you can visit. Mostly Monkeys offers tours for donations to help defray operating expenses. That way, there are no regrets, because we know monkeys make terrible pets.
