The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is alleging a Missouri woman has secreted away a chimpanzee that was supposed to be relocated from a Festus-area facility to a Florida sanctuary.
In a motion filed Monday (Aug. 9), PETA said Tonia Haddix of Clever has failed to show proof that a chimpanzee named Tonka died, and the organization alleges she is trying to hide the chimp.
Haddix had been the caretaker for Tonka and six other chimps – Crystal, Mikayla, Tammy, Connor, Candy and Kerry – who had been kept at the Missouri Primate Foundation, 12338 Hwy. CC, south of Festus. The Missouri Primate Foundation was formerly known as Chimparty, which provided chimps for parties, television ads and movies.
The chimps had previously belonged to Connie Casey, who transferred ownership of the animals to Haddix in an attempt to end a lawsuit PETA filed against Casey in 2016.
After years of legal battles, the case seemed to be concluded July 14 when U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry ordered Haddix to give up ownership of the seven chimpanzees and allow PETA to transfer them to the Center of Great Apes in Wauchula, Fla. The order came after the judge ruled Haddix had not followed a consent decree she had reached with PETA, which would have allowed her to retain ownership and care for Crystal, Mikayla and Tonka.
Crystal, Mikayla, Tammy, Connor, Candy and Kerry were transferred from the Festus-area facility to the Florida sanctuary on July 28.
“The court had ordered that all of the chimpanzees be transferred to the sanctuary, and we were certainly hoping for that when we arrived on July 28 with our team of veterinarians and experienced care staff,” PETA lawyer Jared Goodman said Tuesday (Aug. 10). “We hoped we would be able to resolve this case in respect to all seven of the chimpanzees. We were quite disappointed to learn that Tonka wasn’t there.”
A phone call to Haddix was not returned to the Leader on Tuesday.
Haddix said Tonka died May 24 after suffering from a stroke or heart attack. She had been ordered by the court to show proof of Tonka’s death, but the proof she provided was not acceptable, PETA said in a court filing.
John Pierce, a Los Angeles-based lawyer representing Haddix, sent an email dated July 21, 2021, from Jerry Aswegan to PETA’s lawyers. In the email, Aswegan said he burned Tonka’s remains on a burn pile in a fire that “stayed at 165 to 170 for three hours and burned for four needless to say it did the job,” court papers show.
In its motion, PETA said Aswegan and Pierce identified Aswegan as Haddix’s husband, and the groups said the temperature cited in the email, whether it is in Fahrenheit or Celsius, would not have been hot enough to properly cremate a chimp that weighs about 250 pounds.
PETA also claimed in its motion that a whistleblower had contacted its lawyer and told him Tonka is alive and that Haddix either has or will soon have a baby chimpanzee. As part of the consent decree, Haddix said she would not own another chimp.
Goodman said Haddix has until Aug. 16 to respond to PETA’s motion, and he expects the judge to rule if Haddix is in contempt of a court order that decrees she either must show adequate proof of Tonka’s death or turn over the chimpanzee to the Florida sanctuary by the end of the month or early September.
“We don’t think it will particularly long to sort out this remaining issue,” Goodman said. “The court has been briefed on the issue and has already issued a ruling in relation to it. It is up to the court’s discretion when she turns to this most recent motion. I expect a ruling not too long after the briefing is finished on it.”
Goodman also said the six chimps that were transferred to the Center of Great Apes are doing well.
“They acclimated quickly and are doing great there,” Goodman said.
Click to read past Leader coverage on the events that led to "Chimp Crazy."