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Nampa Bar Allowed To Keep "Monkeys" As Entertainment
By Tami Doty
NAMPA -
The three primates have given a Nampa bar a sort of claim to fame. But some feel the animals are the ones paying the price, so a business can turn a profit.
The drinks are how "Monkey Bizness" makes it's money. But these animals are what bring many people there in the first place.
Jeff Peters said, "I think its made a landmark, made us a little bit of a landmark here in Nampa." Peters took over the business just a few years ago, but the three animals came with it. He said, "They're special because they've grown up here, and if you like animals, you can appreciate that and don't want to see any harm come to them, love them like your pets, we've adopted them."
Despite the bar setting, Peters says the glass enclosure protects the animals from loud music, and he believes a separate ventilation system protects them from all the smoke. He said, "There's not a lot of special training needed, just give them a lot of love and attention, you just feed em water them, on a regular basis."
The owners maintain, the animals are well taken care of, but animal rights activists say that's not good enough. Carol Bachelder is with People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA. She said, "It's all about quality of life, people wouldn't like to be put in a glass case and held up on display, behind a bar for other people's entertainment, we don't think it's fair for animals either."
Peters responded, "They've never been in their natural environment, this is their natural environment, this is all they know, this is where they've grown up."
And this is where he and many of his customers hope, they can stay. "It wouldn't be the same," said Peters. "It wouldn't be the same, they've been here so long, they're that unique characteristic.
The Nampa City Council granted Peters a conditional use permit on Tuesday evening. That means it will remain a 'monkey business' as long as he's the owner.
By Tami Doty
NAMPA -
The three primates have given a Nampa bar a sort of claim to fame. But some feel the animals are the ones paying the price, so a business can turn a profit.
The drinks are how "Monkey Bizness" makes it's money. But these animals are what bring many people there in the first place.
Jeff Peters said, "I think its made a landmark, made us a little bit of a landmark here in Nampa." Peters took over the business just a few years ago, but the three animals came with it. He said, "They're special because they've grown up here, and if you like animals, you can appreciate that and don't want to see any harm come to them, love them like your pets, we've adopted them."
Despite the bar setting, Peters says the glass enclosure protects the animals from loud music, and he believes a separate ventilation system protects them from all the smoke. He said, "There's not a lot of special training needed, just give them a lot of love and attention, you just feed em water them, on a regular basis."
The owners maintain, the animals are well taken care of, but animal rights activists say that's not good enough. Carol Bachelder is with People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA. She said, "It's all about quality of life, people wouldn't like to be put in a glass case and held up on display, behind a bar for other people's entertainment, we don't think it's fair for animals either."
Peters responded, "They've never been in their natural environment, this is their natural environment, this is all they know, this is where they've grown up."
And this is where he and many of his customers hope, they can stay. "It wouldn't be the same," said Peters. "It wouldn't be the same, they've been here so long, they're that unique characteristic.
The Nampa City Council granted Peters a conditional use permit on Tuesday evening. That means it will remain a 'monkey business' as long as he's the owner.
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