TENNESSEE -- The owner of a monkey that escaped and attacked a Bedford County woman will spend four days in jail and has been forbidden to keep any more exotic animals.
On Thursday, a judge sentenced Ricky Smith to 11 months, 29 days probation for two counts of [misdemeanor] animal cruelty.
In August 2011 one of Smith's monkeys, a Japanese macaque, escaped from his home and attacked a woman as she washed her car. The 42- year-old victim was attacked from behind in her own driveway.
When the Bedford County Deputies arrived on the scene the monkey attacked again, jumping on a deputy and leaving him with two deep cuts. Officers were forced to shoot and kill the animal.
Smith owned four other monkeys, who Animal Control Officials said were being housed in dog crates and bird cages that were too small for the animals.
The remaining monkeys were taken to a wildlife refuge in Texas after the incident.
(NewsChannel5 - Dec 1, 2011)
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