If some Kansas City area pet stores can keep monkeys, can you? Here are the laws

If you recently walked into Pet Stop — a local pet store operating in Shawnee since 1976 — you may have been surprised to find it home to a monkey.

His name is Frankie, a capuchin monkey who has lived in his cage in Pet Stop for nearly two decades. Recently, he has been making waves as the latest group of activists push for his relocation to a primate sanctuary.

Although some have questioned the legality of Frankie’s captivity, the law is clear. Here is what Kansas and Missouri laws have to say about owning a pet monkey.

Kansas allows pet monkeys, while Missouri has more barriers. Kansas regulates the ownership of some “dangerous” animals, such as bears, lions, cheetahs, tigers and non-native, venomous snakes, but monkeys are not included in the list. Those living in the sunflower state can own any type of non-human primate without a permit, but are still subject to the regulations of the Kansas Pet Animal Act.

Cities, though, may have their own laws about owning monkeys as pets. For example, in Frankie’s hometown of Shawnee, individual households cannot keep pet monkeys. But certain establishments, like retail pet stores, can obtain a permit to own non-human primates and other exotic animals.

In Missouri, non-human primates are classified as “dangerous wild animals.” They are permitted in certain specialized facilities like zoos and research laboratories, but private citizens cannot have a pet monkey unless it is successfully registered with the county’s law enforcement agency.

As with those in Kansas, cities in Missouri may have further restrictions on owning monkeys.

Federal regulations apply to both sides of state line At the federal level, the Animal Welfare Act provides guidelines for the care of non-human primates, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is responsible for enforcing these laws.

The act dictates how non-human primates must be housed, among other things. According to the act, owners must provide their monkeys with a social grouping or otherwise receive an exemption.

Guidelines, like the requirement of providing enrichment in enclosures, aim to better the lives of nonhuman primates. Overall, the act’s environmental enhancement plan seeks to “address the social needs of nonhuman primates of species known to exist in social groups in nature.”