Board approves retirement home for service monkeys in Allston

By adamg on Tue, 02/04/2020 - 1:32pm

The Zoning Board of Appeals today approved plans by Helping Hands to expand its facility on Cambridge Street in Allston to provide a place for service monkeys who have gotten too old to help clients enjoy their golden years in peace.

Helping Hands places specially trained capuchin monkeys with severely disabled clients to help them with daily tasks, from turning on lights to retrieving food from containers on shelves. The organization trains the monkeys for three to five years at its home at 541 Cambridge St.

Helping Hands used to place monkeys who've gotten too old to keep working with individuals willing to watch after them, but federal regulations no longer permit that, Helping Hands attorney Paul Rufo told the board at a hearing this morning.

The organization needed board approval for a roughly 528-square-foot addition, which Rufo said would let the group reorganize the existing interior space and create a second-floor home for senior monkeys to "enjoy the rest of their natural lives."

The mayor's office, city councilors Liz Breadon and Annissa Essaibi-George and the Allston Civic Association all supported the proposal. "Helping Hand is a fantastic organization," an aide to the mayor said.

The board approved the request for the requested variances unanimously.

Neighborhoods:

Allston

Free tagging:

Cambridge Street

ZBA

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Comments

Why do federal regulations

By anon on Tue, 02/04/2020 - 1:40pm.

Why do federal regulations now prohibit placing the old monkeys in homes willing to take them?

It was an Obama Era Program

By Don't Panic on Tue, 02/04/2020 - 11:28pm.

So of course President Trump had to abolish it. It was tucked in with legislation about Endangered Species Protection President Obama was working on.

The big questions are: How

By anon on Tue, 02/04/2020 - 1:49pm.

The big questions are: How many off-street parking spaces are required per monkey, and are they eligible for on-street permits to compete with the long-term residents??

Oh ha ha everything is a dumb

By anon on Tue, 02/04/2020 - 2:40pm.

Oh ha ha everything is a dumb joke to you isn't it. Would you prefer these monkeys who have spent most of their lives in service to human beings in need be executed instead? Kudos to the people who give a damn about these amazing animals who are willing to see that their lives are not simply terminated because they are 'too old.' ...and then there are people like yourself with your ignorant and heartless attitude who scoff and scorn and think all are beneath you. Grow up.

No need to go ape, he was

By baustin on Wed, 02/05/2020 - 7:34am.

No need to go ape, he was just monkeying around.

So many questions

By Ari O on Tue, 02/04/2020 - 3:11pm.

Will the monkey school system be able to cope with the additional monkey children?
Will the roads be able to cope with the additional traffic the monkeys will cause when they leave their homes to go to monkey work and patronize monkey businesses?
Will the monkey houses be built in the same character as the rest of the monkey neighborhood?

monkey

By onelith on Tue, 02/04/2020 - 1:51pm.

That's bananas!

The important question is

By SuperChingon on Tue, 02/04/2020 - 2:38pm.

Can I go and visit these monkeys?

maybe

By anon on Tue, 02/04/2020 - 4:33pm.

you used to be able to see them from the street if they were hanging out by the windows. not sure if they have reconfigured the space since then, since this was like 15 years ago. but to actually visit them in person, no. they don't allow that.

For real.

By frobot on Tue, 02/04/2020 - 4:39pm.

How did I not know there was a monkey house in my neighborhood? I wonder if there are volunteer opportunities...

This is right near me

By Deb on Tue, 02/04/2020 - 2:46pm.

How did I not know this existed? I wonder if they will need volunteers to play with the retired monkeys and keep them happy. I'd love that job.

Capuchin Monkey's tax exempt?

By O-FISH-L on Tue, 02/04/2020 - 4:28pm.

Does this home get the religious tax exemption?

do these retired monkeys get

By schneidz on Tue, 02/04/2020 - 4:38pm.

do these retired monkeys get a service dog or something ?

Monkeys all the way down

By Cranky on Wed, 02/05/2020 - 10:43am.

They get service monkeys.

Monkeys and Coronavirus

By BostonDog on Tue, 02/04/2020 - 6:34pm.

Maybe in the future they'll mistakenly blame the virus on these monkeys before sending back Bruce Willis.

Liability

By Kaz on Tue, 02/04/2020 - 8:17pm.

It would be awesome if they could let people hang out with the retired capuchins for a small donation/fee to the organization. I imagine the liability insurance would be prohibitive though.