A new city rule that would force a North Knoxville monkey owner to give up her rescue is moving forward for a final vote.
The Knoxville City Council gave the rule change, which adds monkeys to the current limit of four total cats and dogs per home, initial approval Aug. 18. Councilmember Denzel Grant was absent but every other councilmember supported the change without discussion.
Jamie Fuller knows it's targeting hermonkey rescue. She has a U.S. Department of Agriculture license and legally keeps 30 monkeys in her backyard and home.
Fuller attended the meeting but was not allowed to speak during the ordinance's pubic comment period because she didn't sign up in time. The council will vote for a final time on the ordinance Sept. 1.
Fuller has capuchin
monkeys, spider monkeys and squirrel monkeys, the majority of which are rescues or rehomes. She said she was not aware of the proposed ordinance change but had been told she needed to appear at the Aug. 18 City Council meeting for "operating a kennel business in a private residence." She disagrees with that description.
She assumes neighbors have called to complain to animal control, the health department, city codes and city zoning experts, all of which have come to her home, she told Knox News. She has never been cited. She even proactively worked with the Knoxville Fire Department to come up with a rescue plan for herself and the animals.
"There's a group that does not like me, does not like who I'm friends with, does not like how I do things and they have called every agency," Fuller said. "They have called USDA, which I am USDA licensed, and turned in false allegations. They have called the health department, they have called TWRA (Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency), which they don't govern any of the animals I have."
Allie Feinberg is the politics reporter for Knox News. Email: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com; Reddit: u/KnoxNewsAllie
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville City Council moves to limit monkeys, devastating sanctuary owner
