For Immediate Release:
January 2, 2007

Contact:
Bob Chorush 757-622-7382 

Cody is one of three chimpanzees who were surrendered to sanctuaries on December 9, 2006, in order to settle a civil lawsuit filed in federal court. The suit alleges that the chimpanzees’ owner, Sid Yost, punched them and kicked them in the head, which are violations of the Endangered Species Act and California cruelty-to-animals statutes.

Primatologist Sarah Baeckler, who conducted an undercover investigation of Yost’s training compound, says that she witnessed frequent beatings of Cody and other animals. Baeckler writes, "I saw volunteers and trainers hit Cody on the head with a lock, take a full windup and punch him in the back, kick him in the head, and hit him with a blunt instrument known as ‘the ugly stick.’"

Yost has been cited repeatedly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for failure to meet the minimum standards of the federal Animal Welfare Act, including failing to handle chimpanzees in a way that ensures public safety and animal welfare, failing to provide chimpanzees with adequate space and environmental enrichment, and exhibiting without a license. Yost has also been fined for bankruptcy fraud, has served jail time for illegal possession of animals, and has fled jurisdictions to avoid facing responsibility for damages caused by his animals. Two of his chimpanzees have bitten members of the public. In settling the lawsuit, Yost agreed to stop working with and owning nonhuman primates.

"Young chimpanzees like Cody are often beaten and abused in other ways in order to force them to perform," says PETA Director Debbie Leahy. "Using a great ape in a Data Drive Thru ad sends the message that it is still somehow acceptable to use wild animals in ads, when, in fact, times have changed."

Major companies, including Yahoo! Inc., Honda, PUMA, and Keds, have agreed not to use great apes in their ads.

For more information, please visit NoMoreMonkeyBusiness.com.